`Hurt Locker` wins LA Critics` best-picture prize

Los Angeles: The Iraq War drama ‘The Hurt Locker’ was chosen as the year`s best picture Sunday by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The film also won the group`s best-director honor for Kathryn Bigelow.The group named Jeff Bridges as best actor for the country-music tale ‘Crazy Heart’ and Yolande Moreau as best actress for the French film ‘Seraphine.’ The lead-actor runners-up were Colin Firth for ‘A Single Man’ and Carey Mulligan for ‘An Education.’

Mo`Nique won the supporting-actress award for ‘Precious: Based on the Novel `Push` by Sapphire’ and Christoph Waltz earned the supporting-actor prize for ‘Inglourious Basterds.’ The runners-up for the supporting honors were Anna Kendrick for ‘Up in the Air’ and Peter Capaldi for ‘In the Loop.’ The critics` prizes are among early honors on Hollywood`s long run-up to the Academy Awards on March 7. Oscar nominations come out Feb. 2. The awards are part of a flurry of honors_ among them the New York Film Critics Circle prizes Monday and the Golden Globe nominations Tuesday — that help shape the Oscar picture by reinforcing front-runners or calling attention to overlooked films and performances. While audiences generally have shied away from war-on-terror dramas, "The Hurt Locker" did solid business and earned glowing reviews. The film stars Jeremy Renner as a U.S. bomb technician in Iraq so addicted to his dangerous job that he puts the lives of colleagues at risk. George Clooney`s comedy ‘Up in the Air’ was runner-up for best picture. Clooney`s busy year did produce a win, though, as the critics picked his ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ as the year`s best animated film. The blockbuster ‘Up’ was the animation runner-up. ‘Up in the Air’ director Jason Reitman and writer Sheldon Turner shared the screenplay prize. The runners-up were Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche for ‘In the Loop.’ The French family tale ‘Summer Hours’ was named as best foreign-language film, with the Austrian drama ‘The White Ribbon’ earning the runner-up honor. The critics group gave its New Generation award to Neill Blomkamp, director of the surprise summer hit ‘District 9.’ Among other winners: • Music/score: T Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton, ‘Crazy Heart.’ Runner-up, Alexandre Desplat, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’ • Production design: Philip Ivey, ‘District 9.’ Runner-up, Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, ‘Avatar.’ • Cinematography: Christian Berger, ‘The White Ribbon.’ Runner-up, Barry Ackroyd, ‘The Hurt Locker.’ • Documentary/nonfiction film: ‘The Beaches of Agnes’ and ‘The Cove’ (tie). Bureau Report