“The Social Network” keeps making friends, winning the Critics’ Choice award for best picture and three other prizes.
But “Inception” led all films Friday night with six awards total, all in technical categories.
Best actor went to Colin Firth for his portrayal of King George VI, who overcame a stammer with the help of an unconventional speech therapist, in “The King’s Speech,” while Natalie Portman won best actress for playing a ballerina who descends into madness in “Black Swan.”
“The Social Network,” which chronicles the origin of Facebook, also won for David Fincher’s direction, Aaron Sorkin’s adapted screenplay and the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
The boxing drama “The Fighter” won in three categories: supporting actor Christian Bale, supporting actress Melissa Leo and best ensemble.
But from a numerical standpoint, “Inception” was the big winner of the night. Christopher Nolan’s psychological dream thriller won for cinematography, art direction, editing, visual effects, sound and best action movie.
The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, bestowed by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, were given out at the Hollywood Palladium.
Among the other winners, “Toy Story 3” was named best animated film, “Waiting for ‘Superman'” took the documentary prize, “Easy A” won best comedy and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” was the foreign-language winner. Hailee Steinfeld won the best young actor or actress award for her film debut in the Coen brothers’ version of “True Grit.”
The front-runner this awards season, “The Social Network” has won top honors from several critics groups, including those in New York and Los Angeles and the National Society of Film Critics.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More