Silent flick named year's best film

The Artist has been named the year's best film.

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SILENT film ode The Artist has been named film of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle.

The black-and-white silent film's French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius pays homage to silent films and also won him the best director gong.

Critic and group chairman John Anderson said the film was a "celebration of cinema".

"It's clever and it's upbeat and all that, but it's really about the movies. Of course, that's going to strike a chord among critics," he said.

The group named Brad Pitt best actor for his performances in Moneyball, which also won best screenplay, and Tree of Life, which also earned best cinematography.

Meryl Steep's portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady earned her the best actress gong.

For a full list of winners visit the New York Film Critics Circle website.

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