Director Roman Polanski's The Pianist has won four top honours at the 37th annual National Society of Film Critics awards in the US, as tension mounts ahead of the Oscars in March.

The film was voted the best picture of 2002 and Polanski won best director. The movie's star, Adrien Brody, was named best actor while the film also won the best screenplay award.

The Pianist recounts the plight of a Polish-Jewish pianist in Nazi-occupied Poland and his escape from a Warsaw ghetto.

It won the Palme D'Or at Cannes last year and, though based on a memoir by Wladyslaw Szpilman, is said to have personal resonance for Polanski.

Adrian Brody stars in The Pianist

The director's parents died at Auschwitz and he fought for his own survival as a child during the Holocaust.

Elsewhere, the critics' group named Diane Lane best actress for her role as the adulterous wife in Unfaithful.

Christopher Walken was given the award for best supporting actor for his performance in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me if You Can.

The honour for best supporting actress went to Patricia Clarkson for Far from Heaven, which was also applauded for its cinematography.

Arty film

Y Tu Mama Tambien, by Mexican film-maker Alfonso Cuaron, was named best foreign film.

The award for best documentary went to Standing in the Shadows of Motown.

Mexico won best foreign film

The movie details the contribution made by Motown's accomplished ensemble of house musicians to pop music of the 1960's and 1970's.

The awards given by the National Society of Critics are the first major movie honours of 2003.

Although highly regarded, they are thought to go more for arthouse-type films than those that generally win favour with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Last year the film critics chose David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and its best movie. Robert Altman was named best director for Gosford Park.

The best actor award went to Gene Hackman and Naomi Watts for best actress for Mulholland Drive.

Yet, The Pianist has been winning acclaim since early last year and many industry forecasters are tipping it as a strong outside contender for Oscar success.