British movie Atonement, which stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, claimed the Best Film Golden Globe award last night despite there being no glitzy ceremony due to the writer's strike.Atonement, which is only director Joe Wright's second picture, was announced as the winner was announced at the Hilton Hotel in a press conference that replaced the high profile award ceremony.It was a good night all round for British talent as Daniel Day Lewis took the Best Actor in a Drama gong for his role in There Will Be Blood with Julie Christie taking Best Actress for her role in Away From Her beating fellow British nominees Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.Musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street took Best Picture for a Musical or Comedy with leading man Johnny Depp taking Best Actor for a musical or Comedy performance.Marion Cotillard took Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role as French singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.Australian actress Cate Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There and Spaniard Javier Bardem took Best Supporting Actor for No Country For Old Men.It was a disappointing evening for No Country For Old Men as they were expected to take Best Picture and Best Director, the Coen Brothers losing out to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly's Julian Schnabel, although they did win Best Screenplay.Oscar favourite Ratatouille took Best Animation.

The result of last night Globe's ceremony has blown the Oscar competition wide open. The Globes is widely regarded as a good indicator for who will win the most coveted prize in the movie industry.

Run away favourite for Best Picture was No Country For Old Men, which has picked up several gongs on the awards circuit already. However at the Oscar dramas and musical/comedy pictures are all placed together so No Country For Old Men could face serious competition from Atonement as well as musical hit Sweeney Todd.

Similarly the Coen Brothers winning Best Director no longer seems a sure thing with Julian Schnabel being the surprise recipient last night. The Academy may even see fit to award Atonement director Joe Wright then of course there's Tim Burton, who has never received a Best Director nomination at the Oscars.

2007 has seen some great male performances with both Daniel Day Lewis and George Clooney doing well at various awards. Daniel Day Lewis may go into the Oscars as the possible favourite but should Johnny Depp find himself nominated he may be Lewis' biggest threat.

The Best Actress category is perhaps the most clear cut with Julie Christie winning awards left right and centre her biggest rival will possibly be Marion Cotillard who has won over critics as Edith Piaf.

Javier Bardem is the run away favourite for Best Supporting Actress for his murderous role in No Country For Old Men, perhaps the film's only award if the Globes is anything to go by. And Cate Blanchett may pick up her second Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

However there is also Sean Penn's Into the Wild to be considered which was surprisingly overlooked in all the major Golden Globe categories.

Oscar nominations are announced on the 22nd January.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

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