George Clooney film receives accolade

George Clooney's first attempt at directing has scooped a prestigious prize from critics in Las Vegas.

Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind was named best picture at the Las Vegas Film Critics' Society Awards.

Clooney directed the movie, based on the memoirs of Chuck Barris, as well as starring in it alongside Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore.

The second Lord of the Rings film won the most prizes in the annual awards, with four, including one for director Peter Jackson.

Nicole Kidman was given the best actress prize for in The Hours, while Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor for Martin Scorsese's epic Gangs of New York.

Critics in Washington DC have given their best film award to Tom Hanks' thriller Road to Perdition, directed by Sam Mendes.

Another actor-turned-director, Denzel Washington, was named best director - but had to share the prize with Mendes and Spike Jonze.

Acting honours went to About Schmidt star Jack Nicholson and Julianne Moore, for Far From Heaven.