He's a disciplinarian father struggling to build a relationship with his sons in Tree Of Life. She's Britain's only female prime minister in The Iron Lady. Now Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep are the proud owners of 2011 Best Actor awards from the New York Film Critics' Circle.
Although they may sound obscure, these awards are considered one of the most important early indicators of Oscar success, which can in turn make a massive difference to a producer's fundraising powers or an actor's access to roles. So Jessica Chastain (Tree Of Life) and Albeet Brooks (Drive) will also have been pleased to win in the supporting actor categories. Best film went to Michel Hazanavicius Hollywood romance The Artist, and Hazanavicius was also named Best Director. Tree Of Life scored a further success for cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Best Foreign Film went to the Iranian drama A Separation, and Best Documentary to Werner Herzog's Cave Of Forgotten Dreams.
