FILM CRITICS VOTE `LIFE IS SWEET' BEST

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 8, 1992                   TAG: 9201070195
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                LENGTH: Short
FILM CRITICS VOTE `LIFE IS SWEET' BEST
"Life Is Sweet," Mike Leigh's gastronomic view of family life in an English suburb, was voted the best film of 1991 by the National Society of Film Critics, a 35-member group representing critics from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities. Alison Steadman and Jane Horrocks, who play a mother and daughter in the film, were voted best actress and best supporting actress, respectively.
River Phoenix was voted best actor for his performance as a narcoleptic hustler in "My Own Private Idaho," and Harvey Keitel was named best supporting actor for roles in three films: "Bugsy," "Thelma and Louise" and "Mortal Thoughts."
David Cronenberg was voted both best director and best screenwriter for his adaptation of William Burroughs' novel "Naked Lunch."
Roger Deakins' cinematography for "Barton Fink" won the group's award in that category, and its choice for best documentary was Jennie Livingston's "Paris Is Burning."
Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Double Life of Veronique" was voted the year's best foreign film.
The group elected to give a special award for best experimental film to Guy Maddin for his intricate, virtually wordless "Archangel." It also voted a citation "to Peter Delpeut for the compilation film `Lyrical Nitrate,' an evocation of the beauty and fragility of our film heritage."

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB