Mirren's Queen Crowned As Favourite to Win Oscar

Helen Mirren is emerging as runaway favourite to win best actress at the Oscars after three US critics' circles rated her performance as the Queen the best of the year.

This year's Oscar race is as wide open as anyone can remember. Normally Oscar-watchers would have eight or nine films they could name as contenders for best picture - this year there are twice that number.

Over the last few days three different critics' circle awards results have been announced in New York, Los Angeles and Boston. While not a part of the Oscar process the movie verdicts offer an insight into the direction the Oscar wind is blowing. Mirren was named best actress by all three circles for her moving performance in The Queen, scriptwriter Peter Morgan's account of how both the royal family and the new Blair government reacted to the death of Diana.

Three films won in the best picture category. New York chose Paul Greengrass's heart-stopping account of the only hijacked September 11 plane not to reach its intended target, United 93. Circle chairman Marshall Fine said: "It is certainly one of the most unique films of the year. It's a film that hits you in a way that no other film did."

Boston stayed local by choosing The Departed, Martin Scorsese's gangster film set in the city. Los Angeles went for Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima about the 1945 battle of the same name.

When the awards are presented on February 25, most expect British talent to be well represented. The British production company Working Title was behind United 93, along with Universal, and its British director Greengrass was named best director by the Los Angeles circle.

Another British film, The Last King of Scotland, could bring success for US actor Forest Whitaker whose portrayal of Idi Amin won him best actor category among New York judges. Los Angeles named him joint winner along with Sacha Baron Cohen for Borat.