Michael Haneke’s Amour was named best picture today in voting by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The tender study of an elderly couple in their twilight years also was named best picture at Cannes and at the recent European Film Awards. Paul Thomas Anderson was voted best director for The Master, which presents a portrait of a charismatic cult-like figure. The Master also took best actor for Joaquin Phoenix supporting actor for Amy Adams. The LA vote halted earlier momentum for Zero Dark Thirty, which won best picture and directing nods for Kathryn Bigelow from the New York Circle of Film Critics, National Board of Review and the Boston Society of Film Critics. Bigelow was the LA group’s runner-up. The LA critics vote resulted in a best actress tie between Emmanuelle Riva for Amour and Jennifer Lawrence for David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook. These and other results are posted below.
BEST PICTURE: Amour
Runner-up: The Master
BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
BEST ACTRESS (TIE): Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook; Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
BEST ACTOR: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Runner-up: Denis Lavant, Holy Motors
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Adams, The Master
Runner-up: Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises & Les Miserables
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Dwight Henry, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Runner-up: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
BEST SCREENPLAY: Chris Terrio, Argo
Runner-up: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST EDITING: Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg, Zero Dark Thirty
Runner-up: William Goldenberg, Argo
BEST ANIMATION: Frankenweenie
Runner-up: It’s Such A Beautiful Day
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: Holy Motors
Runner-up: Footnote
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins, Skyfall
Runner-up: Mihai Malaimare Jr., The Master
BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Gatekeepers
Runner-up: Searching For Sugar Man
NEW GENERATION AWARD: Benh Zeitlin, Beasts Of The Southern Wild.
BEST MUSIC SCORE Winner: Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood, The Master
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN, Winner: David Crank and Jack Fisk, The Master
Runner-up: Adam Stockhausen, “Moonrise Kingdom
DOUGLAS EDWARDS EXPERIMENTAL/INDEPENDENT FILM/VIDEO AWARD: Leviathan