The New York Film Critics Circle named the starkly beautiful silent film "The Artist" the year's best film Tuesday. "The Artist," also earned the best director award for French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius.

The bold film which the Weinstein Company opened in limited release only last week, has come forward as an improbable front-runner in the early leg of the much awaited Oscar race.

The Spirit Awards, an award giving body which honours independent film, also bestowed five nominations for Hazanavicius' film Tuesday.

Brad Pitt won best actor for both of his performances in the film "Moneyball" and Terrence Malick's immense drama "Tree of Life." Both of those films also earned awards for various merits: "Tree of Life" for best cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and "Moneyball" for Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin's screenp

lay. The inimitable Meryl Steep won the best actress award for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." Jessica Chastain, who certainly has become quite the busy body won best supporting actress for performances in "Tree of Life," "The Help" and "Take Shelter."

Albert Brooks earned best supporting actor for his performance as a brutal and sadistic villain in the much talked about drama "Drive." Werner Herzog's 3-D documentary "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" was chosen as best nonfiction film. The fiscal industry thriller "Margin Call" won best first feature.

The Iranian drama "A Separation" was selected for best foreign film. This year's special award was given posthumously to the creative Chilean filmmaker Raoul Ruiz, who regrettably died in August shortly after the U.S. release of his highly praised "Mysteries of Lisbon."

The New York Film Critics Circle was founded in 1935. Comprised of a body of 33 New York-based critics, the organization announced their annual vote on Twitter for the first time. The awards will be given to the recipients at a ceremony Jan. 9.

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