Award puts Christie in Oscar running

The first in a wave of 2007 film awards leading up to the Oscars in March was announced in New York yesterday - and veteran British actress Julie Christie was named best actress. It gives a huge boost to her chances of winning her second best actress Oscar - 40 years after she won her first for Darling. The National Board of Review, a New York-based foundation, named her best actress for her comeback performance as an Alzheimer's victim in Away From Her. The actress made her name in the 1960s and 70s for her beauty and her roles in films such as Dr Zhivago (above) and Shampoo.

Although few people have seen the independently made film, Christie could now dominate the upcoming film awards - such as the Golden Globes in January - putting her in a strong position for the Oscars in March where the best actress category is seen as being wide open this year, the only stand-out role being Marion Cotillard's embodiment of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.

In other categories, the NBR named George Clooney best actor for his role in the corporate thriller Michael Clayton, while best film went to the Coen brothers' widely-praised adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel, No Country For Old Men. ·