NY critics boost Coens’ Oscar chances

The Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men has been named best film of 2007 by the New York Film Critics Circle, adding to the crime drama's haul of awards ahead of the Oscars. Ethan and Joel Coen also won for their direction and their screenplay, which they adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel. To cap it all, the film's Spanish star Javier Bardem won best supporting actor for his role as a serial killer. The awards come a week after the crime thriller was named best film by the National Board of Review – putting it in serious contention for the Oscars in February.
 
The New York critics named Daniel Day-Lewis best actor for his role as an oil baron in There Will Be Blood. Day-Lewis was given the same accolade by the LA film critics on Sunday. Julie Christie won the best actress award for playing an Alzheimer's disease sufferer in the independently-made film Away From Her (while the LA critics chose Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose.)
 
Amy Ryan has managed a clean sweep for her role in Gone Baby Gone - a film whose release has been delayed in Britain because of its similarities with the case of missing girl Madeleine McCann. She was named best supporting actress by the National Board of Review, the LA critics and now the New York critics. The Golden Globe nominations are still to come on Thursday. ·