`Social Network` named best film by LA critics

Los Angeles: The Facebook drama "The Social Network" was picked as the year`s best picture Sunday by the influential Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

The group`s best-actor prize went to Colin Firth for the British monarchy tale "The King`s Speech," while Kim Hye-ja won best actress for the South Korean drama "Mother." The runners-up were Edgar Ramirez for the terrorist epic "Carlos" and Jennifer Lawrence for the Ozarks crime thriller "Winter`s Bone." Overseas crime dramas won the other acting honors: Jacki Weaver as supporting actress for Australia`s "Animal Kingdom" and Niels Arestrup as supporting actor for France`s "A Prophet." The runners-up were Olivia Williams for the thriller "The Ghost Writer" and Geoffrey Rush for "The King`s Speech." In a tie vote, the directing prize was shared by David Fincher for "The Social Network" and Olivier Assayas for "Carlos," which also was the best-picture runner-up. "Carlos" won for best foreign-language film, and the runner-up was "Mother." "The Social Network," which stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, won two other honors: Aaron Sorkin earned the best-screenplay prize, while composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross shared the award for best musical score with Alexandre Desplat for "The Ghost Writer." The runner-up for best screenplay was David Seidler for "The King`s Speech," which stars Firth as Queen Elizabeth II`s father, George VI, as he struggles to overcome a debilitating stammer. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen`s blockbuster "Toy Story 3" was chosen as best animated film, while French filmmaker Sylvain Chomet`s "The Illusionist" was runner-up. Winners, including career-achievement recipient Paul Mazursky, will be honored at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Jan. 15. Along with the New York Film Critics Circle, which announces its winners Monday, the Los Angeles reviewers` awards are among the key critical picks that help single out potential favorites on the buildup to the Feb. 27 Academy Awards. "The Social Network" and "The King`s Speech" generally are considered the front-runners for the Oscars, whose nominations come out Jan. 25. Top critics groups usually pick different films, though 2009`s "The Hurt Locker" preceded its best-picture win at the Oscars with the same honor from the Los Angeles and New York groups, along with the National Society of Film Critics. Critics` awards also often go to smaller, even obscure films, though the Los Angeles group went mainstream two years ago and gave its best-picture prize to the animated blockbuster "WALL-E." Among the group`s other awards Sunday: Cinematography: Matthew Libatique, "Black Swan"; runner-up, Roger Deakins, "True Grit." Production design: Guy Hendrix Dyas, "Inception"; runner-up, Eve Stewart, "The King`s Speech." Documentary: "Last Train Home"; runner-up, "Exit Through the Gift Shop." Bureau Report