The Artist wins best picture at the Oscars

Silent movie The Artist has won best picture, best director for Michel Hazanavicius and best actor for Jean Dujardin at the Oscars.

French composer Ludovic Bource also won the award for original score for his work on the black and white film.

Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady - her 17th Oscar nomination.

She thanked the Academy "for this inexplicably wonderful career".

The Artist director Hazanavicius - winning on his first ever nomination - thanked the dog, Uggie, who appears in the movie but added: "I don't think he cares".

Dujardin, who also won the Bafta two weeks ago for his role as silent film star George Valentin, broke into his native French language in celebration shouting: "Wow, victory!"

The film also won the Oscar for costume design. The award went to Mark Bridges who thanked the Academy "for making a lifelong dream come true".

Canadian actor Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner at 82.

He was widely tipped to win for his portrayal of a father who comes out as a gay man after his wife dies in Beginners.

Plummer thanked his real-life wife who, he said, deserved "the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day".

The Help's Octavia Spencer won the best supporting actress Oscar and gave an emotional acceptance speech.