‘Social Network’ named best film by LA critics

The play was chosen for Facebook “social network” as best film of the year Sunday at the influential Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

The price actor best group went to the British monarchy tale Colin Firth’s “Talk of the King”, and Hye-ja Kim won the best actor to play the South Korean “mother.” The other finalists for terrorists Edgar Ramirez epic “Carlos” and Jennifer Lawrence of the Ozarks thriller “Bone winter.”

Crime drama won acting honors abroad: Jacki Weaver supporting actor for “Animal Kingdom” Australian and Niels Arestrup as supporting actor for France “A prophet.” Other competitors for Olivia Williams thriller “The Ghost Writer” and Geoffrey Rush for “King’s Speech.”

In a tie, the prize is shared by David Fincher “The Social Network and Olivier Assayas for “Carlos “, who was also the best picture runner-up.” Carlos won “the 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 Tale 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.”