Los Angeles Film Critics Awards Names 'The Descendants' Best Film of the Year

"The Descendants," Alexander Payne's drama about a family in Hawaii undergoing a crisis, was named best film of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.  The Fox Searchlight release prevailed over another Searchlight title "The Tree of Life," which was runner-up.

But Terrence Malick was named best director of the year for Life, his meditation on the meaning of it all. His closest competition came from Martin Scorsese, who earned runner-up status for "Hugo."

The critics group pulled a surprise out of its hat by choosing South Korean actress Yun Jung-Hee as its best actress for her performance as a woman confronting Alzheimer's in "Poetry." Runner-up was Kirsten Dunst for "Melancholia."

Michael Fassbender was given the best actor award for his four films: "Shame," "A Dangerous Method," "Jane Eyre" and "X-Men: First Class." The category's runner-up was Michael Shannon for "Take Shelter."

Jessica Chastain was named best supporting actress for the six films in which she appeared this year: "The Tree of Life," "The Help," "The Debt," "Take Shelter," "Coriolanus" and "Texas Killing Fields." Janet McTeer was runner-up for her performance in "Albert Nobbs."

Christopher Plummer was singled out as best supporting actor for his turn as a widower who comes out late in life in Focus' "Beginners." In that category, Patton Oswalt was hailed as runner-up for "Young Adult."

"A Separation," the Iranian submission for the best foreign-language Oscar, earned the screenplay award for Asghar Farhadi, who also directed the film. "The Descendants" checked in as runner-up for its writers Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.

In the foreign film category, though, "A Separation" was runner-up, with the award going instead to Lu Chaun's "City of Life and Death."

Dante Ferretti, who created the elaborate Parisian train station in Paramount's "Hugo," was rewarded with the prize for production design. Maria Djurkovic earned runner-up honors for the spy tale "Tinker Tailor Solider Spy."

The cinematography award went to Emmanuel Lubeski for Terrence Malick's majestic "The Tree of Life," released by Fox Searchlight. Cao Yu was voted runner-up for "City of Life and Death."

The Chemical Brother's score for Focus' thriller "Hanna" was named best score with Cliff Martinez's work for "Drive" as runner-up.

Werner Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams," the director's 3D look at prehistoric cave paintings, took the prize for best documentary. Clio Barnard's "The Arbor" was runner-up.

"Rango" was named best animated film, with "The Adventures of Tintin" as runnerup.

The Doublas Edwards Independent/Experimental Award went to Bill Morrison's "Spark of Being."

LAFCA gave its New Generation award to the creative team behind "Martha Marcy May Marlene": Writer/director Sean Durkin, producers Antonio Campos and Josh Mond and actress Elizabeth Olsen.

At a previous meeting in October, the group also announced that it is honoring Doris Day with its Career Achievement Award.

LAFCA 2011 winner and runner-up complete list:

BEST PICTURE
Winner:  "The Descendants"
Runner-Up: "The Tree of Life"

BEST ANIMATION
Winner: "Rango"
Runner-Up: "The Adventures of Tintin"

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Runner-Up: Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Michael Fassbender, "A Dangerous Method," "Jane Eyre," "Shame," "X-Men: First Class"
Runner-Up: Michael Shannon, "Take Shelter"

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Yun Jung-Hee, "Poetry"
Runner-Up: Kirsten Dunst, "Melancholia"

BEST INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL
Winner: "Spark of Being"

BEST DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION
Winner: "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
Runner- Up: "The Arbor"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Runner-Up: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Runner-Up: Patton Oswalt, "Young Adult"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Jessica Chastain, "Coriolanus," "The Debt," "The Help," "Take Shelter," "Texas Killing Fields," "The Tree of Life"
Runner-Up: Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Runner-Up: Cao Yu, "City of Life and Death"

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Winner: Dante Ferretti, "Hugo"
Runner-Up: Maria Djurkovic, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

BEST MUSIC/SCORE
Winner: The Chemical Brothers, "Hanna"
Runner-Up: Cliff Martinez, "Drive"

– The Hollywood Reporter