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`Social Network' named best film by L.A. critics

LOS ANGELES – The Facebook drama "The Social Network" has been picked as the year's best picture by the influential Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

The group's best-actor prize Sunday 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 drama "Winter's Bone."

Overseas crime dramas won the supporting honors: Jacki Weaver for Australia's "Animal Kingdom" and Niels Arestrup for France's "A Prophet."

The directing prize was shared by David Fincher for "Social Network" and Olivier Assayas for "Carlos," which also was the best-picture runner-up.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Performers in two overseas crime dramas won supporting-actor honors from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, while the Facebook tale "The Social Network" earned two prizes Sunday.

Jacki Weaver was named best supporting actress Sunday as the menacing matriarch of a Melbourne crime clan in Australia's "Animal Kingdom. The runner-up was Olivia Williams for the thriller, "The Ghost Writer."

Niles Arestrup won for supporting actor as a jailed Corsican mob boss in France's "A Prophet." Geoffrey Rush was runner-up for the British monarchy tale, "The King's Speech."

Aaron Sorkin won best screenplay for "The Social Network," whose 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."

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 Academy Awards.

"The King's Speech" and "The Social Network" are considered the front-runners by many awards watchers.

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 tend to 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 this year:

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."

The critics group will announce the best-picture, director and lead-acting honors later Sunday.