Lord of the Rings not recognised in London Film Critics' awards

LONDON - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World has sailed to victory at the London Film Critics' Circle awards, beating Oscar favourite Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to the best film title.

The sea-faring tale also scooped prizes for Paul Bettany as best British actor, and for John Collee and Peter Weir as joint best screenwriters.

"The British are an island race, which is probably why Master and Commander, a rip roaring tale of life at sea in the age of sail, swept the board in our awards," said William Russell, Chairman of the Critics' Circle.

Just days before Sunday's Baftas, known as the British Oscars, the Americans also scored well, with Clint Eastwood taking the best director accolade and Sean Penn named best actor for US murder story Mystic River.

British romance Love Actually took some honours with Emma Thompson winning best British actress in a supporting role and Bill Nighy scooping best British actor in a supporting role.

But despite being tipped for Oscar glory after winning four US Golden Globe awards last month, the final instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was overlooked by the 100 British critics who make up the Critics' Circle.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings