The Pianist has swept the board at the US National Society of Film Critics awards. The film won best picture, best actor (for Adrien Brody), director (for Roman Polanski) and screenplay (for British writer Ronald Harwood). 55 critics voted to decide the awards.

The Pianist, about a Polish Jewish musician in Nazi-occupied Poland, also won the Palme D'Or at Cannes last year. It has particular meaning for its director, whose parents died at Auschwitz.

Runner up for best film - and winner of best foreign language picture - was Y Tu Mama Tambien, followed by another foreign film, Pedro Almodovar's Talk To Her in third.

Diane Lane was the best actress winner for Unfaithful, while Christopher Walken won best supporting actor for Catch Me If You Can. Patricia Clarkson just beat Fiona Shaw (in Triumph of Love) to win the best supporting actress award for Far From Heaven, and that film also won a best cinematographer award for Ed Lachman.

The National Society of Film Critics is known for picking highbrow and often foreign films, so anyone looking for clues here to Oscar possibilities should weigh that against the Academy's frequently rather populist bent. Numerous films have come out on top in different award ceremonies recently, with About Schmidt wining best picture from the LA critics, Far from Heaven honoured by their New York counterparts and The Hours taking the laurels from the National Board of Review.