LOS ANGELES — The French movie about an aging couple, “Amour,” was the surprise choice for best film of 2012 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association on Sunday, while Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor for his role as a troubled outsider in the cult drama “The Master.” In a list that broke ranks with early movie award picks in New York, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association named Paul Thomas Anderson best director for “The Master” and the film's Amy Adams best supporting actress. “Amour” star Emmanuelle Riva shared the best-actress honor in a tie with Jennifer Lawrence for the lost-soul romance “Silver Linings Playbook.” — Reuters