Director Daldry wins best film for 'The Hours'

The British director Stephen Daldry struck gold in the first round of the film world's award season yesterday when the United States' National Board of Review named his film on Virginia Woolf, The Hours, the best of 2002.

The film, which stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, is a resolutely art-house production based on a well-regarded novel about Woolf by the American writer Michael Cunningham. Kidman plays Woolf, while the other two lead actresses play women from different eras who become obsessed with Woolf's novel Mrs Dalloway.

Although far from obvious adaptation material, the film has delighted the relatively few critics who have pronounced on it. It is due to be released in the United States later this month, and in Britain early next year.

The National Board of Review – a panel of American academics, teachers, lawyers and former film-makers – has a history of picking relatively high-minded films. The Hours almost certainly lacks the broad appeal it would need to win big prizes at the Oscars, which take place in March.

Nevertheless, the award will be a valuable asset in the film's marketing campaign and will put it firmly on the map as other awards and nominations are announced in the coming months.

Daldry, who scored a box-office hit with Billy Elliott two years ago, did not pick up the National Board of Review's directing award – that went to the Australian Phillip Noyce who made Rabbit-Proof Fence and The Quiet American.