'Amour' is Austrian director Michael Haneke's French language tale of an elderly married couple, and has already won the Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival and is nominated for best foreign language film in this year's Oscars.

　　'Amour' also picked up best actress award for Emmanuelle Riva, aged 85, and best screenwriter for Haneke.

　　But Amour's Hanecke lost in the Director of the Year category to Taiwan-born director Ang Lee for 'Life of Pi'.

　　Best Actor Award went to Joaquin Phoenix for his part in 'The Master', and Best Supporting Actor went to Philip Seymour Hoffman in the same film.

　　Best British actor was Toby Jones for his part in 'Berberian Sound Studio' which also won Best British Film award.

　　Anne Hathaway was named Best Actress for her part in 'Les Miserables', while Best British Actress was Andrea Riseborough for her role in 'Shadow Dancer'.

　　Xinhua spoke to actress Helena Bonham Carter who had been honored with the critics' circle top honor, the Award For Excellence, about her performance in her latest movie 'Les Miserables' which is a contender in the upcoming British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards and the Oscars.

　　Bonham Carter had a previous outing in a musical in 'Sweeney Todd'.

　　She said "I like the tunes, I've always liked the tunes. I know all the songs, and also I love singing. I'm not a singer, I'm just OK, but it's really just my dream."Director Mike Newell, who directed last year's Charles Dickens adaptation of "Great Expectations" and also the fourth of the Harry Potter films "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", explained what he saw as the difference between American actors, who picked up the top awards from the Critics' Circle, and British actors, who were also honored.

　　"There's a huge difference between American and British actors," said Newell.

　　"British actors always come from stage training and on stage they are in control; they control the pace. American actors know that they are not in charge, it's producers and technicians who are in control. All the American actor has to do is to be very focused when he finally gets on," said Newell.