Carey Mulligan in An Education (Kerry Brown / Sony Pictures Classics)

London critics (and several other international voting groups as well) split achievement categories between "Film of the Year" or "Actor of the Year" and "British Film of the Year" or "British Actor of the Year." That always makes it look as if the British productions are inferior to the international fare. For instance, Carey Mulligan managed to be nominated in both "Actress of the Year" categories, but Helen Mirren was only included in the "British" shortlist for her work in The Last Station. In other words, Mulligan was good enough to run in the international race; Mirren wasn't.

That says something about how the London critics feel about British filmmaking in 2009. None of the five British films of the year — Bright Star, An Education, Fish Tank, In the Loop, Moon — is up for the "Film of the Year" award.

The London critics' have also announced that Quentin Tarantino will be given this year's Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Cinema, and that Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Vietnam war drama Apocalypse Now (see below) was their best "Film of the Year" winner since the Circle was formed 30 years ago. (I couldn't disagree more with their top-ten choices — none of which would have made my top 50; most of which wouldn't have made my top 5,000. Note: I still haven't watched Distance Voices, Still Lives.)

The London critics' winners will be announced at The Landmark in London on Feb. 18, 2010.