LA critics pick ‘Sideways’ as year’s top movie

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association have named "Sideways," about two men searching for love in California's wine country, as the year's best film and Clint Eastwood's female boxing movie "Million Dollar Baby" as the runner-up.

The picks come two days ahead of nominations for the widely watched Golden Globe Awards, which are given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and help narrow the list of films competing for the top film awards in the United States, the Oscars, in February.

"Sideways" earned the No. 1 spot in four other categories, including best director for Alexander Payne, screenplay for Payne and Jim Taylor, supporting actress for Virginia Madsen and supporting actor for Thomas Haden Church.

Britain's Imelda Staunton was named best actress for her portrayal as an abortionist in "Vera Drake," and Irish actor Liam Neeson was handed the best actor honor for playing US sex researcher Dr. Alfred Kinsey in "Kinsey."

Honors from critics and movie writers such as those in the Los Angeles group often indicate the year's top films, and are closely watched by voters at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars.

Earlier this month, another US group, the National Board of Review, named "Finding Neverland," a fictional film about "Peter Pan" author J.M. Barrie, as 2004's top movie and Howard Hughes drama "The Aviator" as the No. 2 pick. Also included in its top 10 films were "Sideways" and "Million Dollar Baby."

RUNNERS-UP

The L.A. critics picked "Sideways" star Paul Giamatti, who portrays a man as in love with a good glass of wine as he still is with his ex-wife, as runner-up for best actor. Julie Delpy in drama "Before Sunset" was the No. 2 actress behind Staunton.

Supporting actress and actor runners-up, respectively, were Cate Blanchett for two movies, "The Aviator" and "Coffee and Cigarettes," and Morgan Freeman for "Million Dollar Baby."

Martin Scorsese was behind Payne for directing Howard Hughes drama, "The Aviator," and Charlie Kaufman was in the No. 2 spot to Payne and Taylor for his screenplay of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

Martial arts film "House of Flying Daggers" was named best foreign language film by the Los Angeles critics, and "The Motorcycle Diaries," about the early life of revolutionary Che Guevara, was the runner-up.

Other notable winners included director Brad Bird for animation for box office smash "The Incredibles. National Board of Review pick "Born into Brothels" edged out director Michael Moore's controversial "Fahrenheit 9/11" to be the Los Angeles critics' best documentary.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association will honor the winners of their 30th annual awards at a dinner on January 13.

- REUTERS