SUBMITTED BY Timbo

February 12, 2004 — "Master and Commander" won three London Film Critics' Circle awards, including Best Film, while the latest "Lord of the Rings" was snubbed.

Paul Bettany won best British actor for "Master and Commander," and John Collee and Peter Weir won for best screenwriter in the film based on the fiction of Patrick O'Brian.

London Film Critics' Circle chairman William Russell praised "Master and Commander," saying it deserved to sweep the board.

"The British are an island race, which is probably why 'Master and Commander,' a rip-roaring tale of life at sea in the age of sail, swept the board in our awards," he said.

Members of the London Film Critics' Circle write for newspapers and magazines published across the United Kingdom.

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