"Argo" Express Makes Stop at 2013 SAG Awards

At the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, Ben Affleck's film, Argo, won "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture," which is essentially SAG's 'best picture" award.

The SAG Awards and the Oscars don't match up exactly, especially in the "Best Picture" race. It's anybody's guess on the acting categories, but the winners in the theatrical categories last night probably are the odds-on favorites to win the Oscars in their respecitve categories. I still think Jessica Chastain will win best actress instead of Jennifer Lawrence, though. I think Christoph Waltz could also win best supporting actor instead of Tommy Lee Jones.

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® were simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 27, 2013 from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

19th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® RECIPIENTS:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln - "LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany - “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens - “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine - “LES MISÉRABLES” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: ARGO (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Awarded Cast:
BEN AFFLECK / Tony Mendez
ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel
KERRY BISHÉ / Kathy Stafford
KYLE CHANDLER / Hamilton Jordan
RORY COCHRANE / Lee Schatz
BRYAN CRANSTON / Jack O’Donnell
CHRISTOPHER DENHAM / Mark Lijek
TATE DONOVAN / Bob Anders
CLEA DuVALL / Cora Lijek
VICTOR GARBER / Ken Taylor
JOHN GOODMAN / John Chambers
SCOOT McNAIRY / Joe Stafford
CHRIS MESSINA / Malinov

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
KEVIN COSTNER / “Devil Anse” Hatfield - “HATFIELDS & McCOYS” (History)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
JULIANNE MOORE / Sarah Palin - “GAME CHANGE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White - “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison - “HOMELAND” (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - “30 ROCK” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - “30 ROCK” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
Awarded Cast:
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
ZOE BOYLE / Lavinia Swire
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
BRENDAN COYLE / John Bates
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY / Lady Sybil Crawley
SIOBHAN FINNERAN / O’Brien
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna
IAIN GLEN / Sir Richard Carlisle
THOMAS HOWES / William
ROB JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
AMY NUTTALL / Ethel
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
DAN STEVENS / Matthew Crawley
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Awarded cast:
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
SKYFALL (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild 49th Annual Life Achievement Award: DICK VAN DYKE

Indiana Film Critics Name "Safety Not Guaranteed" 2012's Best Film

The Indiana Film Journalist Association (IFJA) named Safety Not Guaranteed, an indie comedy-drama inspired by a joke classified ad in Backwoods Home Magazine, as the "Best Film of 2012."  Quentin Tarantino was named "Best Director" for Django Unchained.

The IFJA is a film critics’ organization only formed in recent years. It seeks to promote film criticism in the state of Indiana and also gives out its annual awards in December.

The full list of 2012 Indiana Film Journalist Association Awards:

Best Film
"Safety Not Guaranteed"
(Runner-up: "Beasts of the Southern Wild")

Best Director
Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"
(Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty")

Best Actor (TIE):
Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
(Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Supporting Actor
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
(Runner-up: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained")

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
(Runner-up: Helen Hunt, "The Sessions")

Best Adapted Screenplay
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
(Runner-up: "Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Original Screenplay
"Safety Not Guaranteed"
(Runner-up: "Django Unchained")

Best Musical Score
"Skyfall"
(Runner-up: "Life of Pi")

Best Animated Feature
"Rise of the Guardians"
(Runner-up: "ParaNorman")

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Raid: Redemption" (Indonesia)
(Runner-up: "Amour" – from Austria)

Best Documentary
"Searching for Sugar Man"
(Runner-up: "Room 237")

Original Vision Award
"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
(Runner-up: "Django Unchained")

The Hoosier Award
Jon Vickers, Founding Director of Indiana University Cinema

2012 Women Film Critics Circle Awards - Complete List

The Women Film Critics Circle Awards went to many different films in 2012, although Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty received three awards.  The Women Film Critics Circle is an association of women film critics, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media. Founded in 2004, this group is the first women critics’ organization in the United States.

2012 Women Film Critics Circle Awards:

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN
A Royal Affair

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (Screenwriting Award)
Two Days In NY (Julie Delpy)

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
Quvenzhanee Wallis, Beast Of The Southern Wild

BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS
Maggie Smith, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Where Do We Go Now (from Lebanon with Egypt, France, and Italy)

BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Zero Dark Thirty

WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE-TIE
Killer Joe
Think Like A Man

BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Lincoln

WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Killer Joe

BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Hemingway And Gellhorn

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ANIMATED FEMALES
Brave

BEST FAMILY FILM-TIE
Life Of Pi
Rise Of The Guardians

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Barbra Streisand

ACTING AND ACTIVISM.AWARD
Sally Field – Field is a dedicated advocate for women's rights. She has served on the Board of Directors of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women's NGO, and has co-hosted the Global Leadership Awards. Field suffers from osteoporosis and has become a vocal advocate for women's health issues, encouraging early diagnosis of such conditions through technology, such as bone density scans.

*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women -TIE
Compliance
The Invisible War

*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America
Middle Of Nowhere

*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity
A Royal Affair (from Denmark)

COURAGE IN ACTING: Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on screen
Helen Hunt, The Sessions

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD: Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock

BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT A WOMAN
Queen Of Versailles

WOMEN’S WORK: BEST ENSEMBLE
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

BEST SCREEN COUPLE
Moonrise Kingdom: Bill Murray and Frances McDormand

*WFCC HALL OF SHAME*

Bachelorette with Kirsten Dunst, had all sorts of ditzy former high school classmates getting together for the wedding of a girl they used to make fun of. Just stupid on so many levels: male strippers, drinking, general girly silliness.

Ici-Bas (Down Below). Rape romance: A raped nun (Celine Sallette) falls in love with her rapist. The male fantasy horror of 'rape romance' on screen. A WFCC Hall Of Shame pick in tribute to the unnamed Indian student and rape murder victim, in the kind of traditional culture where women and girls are pressured to marry their rapists.

Skyfall: 'Bond Girl' is only on screen long enough to sell trailers and products like OPI's 'Skyfall Collection' of nail polishes, and gets bumped off at the end of Act II; M turns into a cowering incompetent and gets bumped off at the end of Act III; and the female sharp-shooter in Act I loses her nerve and leaves 'Field Operations' to become an office assistant in Act III. I loved the Sean Connery/James Bond films as a kid. Women got to be part of the action; the Bond Girl was always there to celebrate success at the end. But as a 50th anniversary tribute to the Bond series made in 2012, Skyfall truly broke my heart!

MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD
Helena Bonham Carter, Les Miserables

BEST LINE IN A MOVIE 2012
"...You can't kill the animals in a movie, only the women." - Christopher Walken/Seven Psychopaths

JUST KIDDING AWARD:
Best Male Images In A Movie: Magic Mike

*Please Note: The WFCC Top Ten Hall Of Shame represents the ‘don’t tell me to shut up’ sidebar contribution of individual members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Circle. Also, members may be objecting to particular characters in a film, and not the entire movie. Clarification: If an aspect of the movie is intentionally negative to make a point, rather than offensive, that is not under consideration for this category.

*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: Adrienne Shelly was a promising actress and filmmaker who was brutally strangled in her apartment in 2006 at the age of forty by a construction worker in the building, after she complained about noise. Her killer tried to cover up his crime by hanging her from a shower20rack in her bathroom, to make it look like a suicide. He later confessed that he was having a “bad day.” Shelly, who left behind a baby daughter, had just completed her film Waitress, which she also starred in, and which was honored at Sundance after her death.

*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: The daughter of a laundress and a musician, Baker overcame being born black, female and poor, and marriage at age fifteen, to become an internationally acclaimed legendary performer, starring in the films Princess Tam Tam, Moulin Rouge and Zou Zou. She also survived the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois as a child, and later expatriated to France to escape US racism. After participating heroically in the underground French Resistance during WWII, Baker returned to the US where she was a crusader for racial equality. Her activism led to attacks against her by reporter Walter Winchell who denounced her as a communist, leading her to wage a battle against him. Baker was instrumental in ending segregation in many theaters and clubs, where she refused to perform unless integration was implemented.

*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: Karen Morley was a promising Hollywood star in the 1930s, in such films as Mata Hari and Our Daily Bread. She was driven out of Hollywood for her leftist political convictions by the Blacklist and for refusing to testify against other actors, while Robert Taylor and Sterling Hayden were informants against her. And also for daring to have a child and become a mother, unacceptable for female stars in those days. Morley maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954. She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.

2013 Golden Globe Award Winners - Complete List

The Golden Globe "Best Picture" awards for the year 2012 went to Argo (drama) and Les Misérables (musical or comedy).  In the television categories, the winners are “Homeland” (drama),"Girls" (musical or comedy), and Game Change (mini-series or made-for-TV movie)..

The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The award recognizes excellence in both film and television. The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.

The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards winners were announced on Sunday, January 13, 2013, broadcast at 8pm ET/5pm PT on NBC.

The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards winners (for the film and television year of 2012):

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Argo

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Les Misérables

Best Director - Motion Picture
Ben Affleck for Argo

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Skyfall: Adele, Paul Epworth ("Skyfall")

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Life of Pi: Mychael Danna

Best Animated Film
Brave

Best Foreign Language Film
Amour (from Austria)

Best Television Series - Drama
"Homeland"

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
"Girls"

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Game Change

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Damian Lewis for "Homeland"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Claire Danes for "Homeland"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Don Cheadle for "House of Lies"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Lena Dunham for "Girls"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Costner for "Hatfields & McCoys"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Julianne Moore for Game Change

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Ed Harris for Game Change

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Maggie Smith for "Downton Abbey"

“Cecil B. DeMille Award” (for career achievement)
Jodie Foster

"Argo" Wins Critics' Choice "Best Picture" Award

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) honored Argo with its "Best Picture" and "Best Director" awards.  In fact, Ben Affleck picked up his best director trophy for Argo the same day he did not receive an expected best director Oscar nomination for Argo.  Silver Linings Playbook received four awards and Skyfall received three.

The BFCA announced the winners of the 18th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The winners were announced at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards ceremony on Thursday, January 10, 2013, which was broadcast live on the CW Network.

18th Annual Critics' Choice Awards: Complete List of Winners for the Year in Film – 2012:

BEST PICTURE
Winner: Argo

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Ben Affleck – Argo

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Winner: Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Tony Kushner – Lincoln

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Life of Pi – Claudio Miranda

BEST ART DIRECTION
Winner: Anna Karenina – Sarah Greenwood/Production Designer, Katie Spencer/Set Decorator

BEST EDITING
Winner: Zero Dark Thirty – William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Winner: Anna Karenina – Jacqueline Durran

BEST MAKEUP
Winner: Cloud Atlas

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Winner: Life of Pi

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: Wreck-It Ralph

BEST ACTION MOVIE
Winner: Skyfall

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Winner: Daniel Craig – Skyfall

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games

BEST COMEDY
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Winner: Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
Winner: Looper

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: Amour (Austria)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner: Searching for Sugar Man

BEST SONG
Winner: “Skyfall” – performed by Adele/written by Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth – Skyfall

BEST SCORE
Winner: Lincoln – John Williams

2013 Oscar Nominations: "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Amy Adams for The Master

Sally Field for Lincoln

Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables

Helen Hunt for The Sessions

Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook  

Alliance of Women Film Journalists Choose "Zero Dark Thirty" as 2012's Best

2012 EDA Award Winners (from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists):

EDA ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Best Film
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty

Best Screenplay, Original
Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal

Best Screenplay, Adapted
Argo - Chris Terrio

Best Documentary
Searching For Sugar Man - Malik Bendjelloul

Best Animated Film
ParaNorman

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Best Ensemble Cast
Silver Linings Playbook

Best Editing
Zero Dark Thirty - William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor

Best Cinematography
Life of Pi - Claudio Miranda

Best Film Music Or Score
Beasts of the Southern Wild - Dan Romer, Benh Zeitlin

Best Non-English-Language Film
Amour (from Austria)

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS – These awards honor WOMEN only.

Best Woman Director
Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty

Best Woman Screenwriter
Lucy Alibar (and Benh Zeitlin) - Beasts of the Southern Wild

Kick Ass Award For Best Female Action Star
Jennifer Lawrence - The Hunger Games

Best Animated Female
Brave - Merida - Kelly Macdonald

Best Breakthrough Performance
Quvenzhané Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild

Actress Defying Age and Ageism
Judi Dench - Skyfall

AWFJ Award For Humanitarian Activism - Female Icon Award —
(Presented to an actress for the portrayal of the most positive female role model, or for a role in which she takes personal and/or career risks to plumb the female psyche and therefore gives us courage to plumb our own, and/or for putting forth the image of a woman who is heroic, accomplished, persistent, demands her rights and/or the rights of others.)

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

This Year’s Outstanding Achievement By A Woman In The Film Industry
(Presented only when warranted to a female who has had a banner-making, record-breaking, industry-changing achievement during any given year — such as Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Director Oscar win, or for an actress having multiple outstanding films released during one year.)

Women Documentary Filmmakers, including Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Detropia), Lauren Greenfield (Queen of Versailles), Alison Klayman (Ai Weiwei Never Sorry) and Sarah Burns (The Central Park Five).

EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

AWFJ Hall Of Shame Award
Sean Anders for That’s My Boy

Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent (Tie)
Katherine Heigl - One For The Money
Reese Witherspoon - This Means War

Movie You Wanted To Love But Just Couldn’t
Anna Karenina

Unforgettable Moment Award (Tie)
Les Miserables - Anne Hathaway as Fantine singing I Dreamed A Dream
Zero Dark Thirty - Jessica Chastain as Maya says, “I’m the mother…”

Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction
The Sessions - Helen Hunt and John Hawkes

Sequel or Remake That Shouldn’t Have Been Made Award (Tie)
Red Dawn
Total Recall

Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Leading Man and The Love Interest Award
Flight - Denzel Washington and Kelly Reilly,..and Nadine Velazquez

2012 Satellite Awards Honor "Silver Linings Playbook"

The International Press Academy (IPA) chose Silver Linings Playbook as the "Best Film of 2012."  The IPA is an entertainment media association with voting members worldwide who represent domestic and foreign markets via print, television, radio, blogs, and other content platforms for virtually every notable outlet.

Each year the IPA honors artistic excellence in the areas of Motion Pictures, Television, Radio, and New Media via the Satellite® Awards.

Complete List of 2012 Satellite Award Winners and Nominees (Announced December 16, 2012):

MOTION PICTURES CATEGORIES

Motion Picture
Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER

Argo, Warner Bros.
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Les Miserables, Universal
Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Moonrise Kingdom, Focus Features
The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox
Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures

Director
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER

Ben Affleck for Argo, Warner Bros.
Kim Ki-Duk for Pieta, Drafthouse Films
Ben Lewin for The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures

Actress in a Motion Picture
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER

Emilie Dequenne, Our Children, Versus Production
Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Emmanuelle, Riva Amour, Sony Pictures Classics
Laura Birn, Purge, Solar Films
Laura Linney, Hyde Park on Hudson, Focus Features
Jessica Chastain Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures

Actor in a Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER

John Hawkes, The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Omar Sy, The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co.
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables, Universal
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Denzel Washington, Flight, Paramount Pictures
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone

Actress in a Supporting Role
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables, Universal WINNER

Amy Adams, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Helene Florent, Cafe De Flore, Adopt Films
Helen Hunt, The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Judi Dench, Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Samantha Barks, Les Miserables, Universal

Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem, Skyfall, Columbia Pictures WINNER

Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co.
John Goodman, Flight, Paramount Pictures
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Eddie Redmayne, Les Miserables, Universal

Motion Picture, International Film
The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co. (France) WINNER

Amour, Sony Pictures Classics (Austria)
A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures (Denmark)
Our Children, Le Films Du Losange (Belgium)
Kon-Tiki, The Weinstein Co. (Norway)
Pieta, Drafthouse Films (South Korea)
Beyond the Hills, Sundance Selects (Romania)
War Witch, Tribeca Film (Canada)
Caesar Must Die, Adopt Film (Italy)

Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
Rise of the Guardians, DreamWorks Animation WINNER

ParaNorman, Focus Features
Wreck-It Ralph, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Brave, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, Twentieth Century Fox Animation
Frankenweenie, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, DreamWorks Animation

Motion Picture, Documentary
Chasing Ice, National Geographic WINNER

The Central Park Five, Sundance Selects
The Pruitt-Igoe, Myth First Run Features
The Gatekeepers, Sony Pictures Classics
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Sundance Selects
West of Memphis, Sony Pictures Classics
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present, Music Box Films
Searching for Sugar Man, Sony Pictures Classics

Original Screenplay
Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures WINNER

Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache - The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co.
John Gatins - Flight, Paramount Pictures
Kim Ki-Duk - Pieta, Drafthouse Films
Roman Coppola, Wes Anderson - Moonrise Kingdom, Focus Features
Paul Thomas Anderson - The Master, The Weinstein Co.

Adapted Screenplay
David Magee - Life of Pi; Twentieth Century Fox (Based on the Novel by Yann Martel) WINNER

• Ben Lewin - The Sessions; Fox Searchlight Pictures (Based on documentary Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien, Directed by Jessica Yu)

• Tony Kushner, John Logan, Paul Webb – Lincoln; DreamWorks/Touchstone (Based on Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin)

• Chris Terrio – Argo; Warner Bros. (Based on magazine article “Escape From Tehran” by Joshuah Berman)

• Tom Stoppard - Anna Karenina; Focus Features (Based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy)

• David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. (Based on the novel by Matthew Quick)

Original Score (Composer, Film)
Alexandre Desplat for Argo, Warner Bros. WINNER

Dario Marianelli for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Thomas Newman for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Jonny Greenwood for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
John Williams for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Dan Romer, Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Original Song (Title, Performer, Writer(s), Film)
"Suddenly, " Hugh Jackman, Alain Boubil, Herbert Kretzmer, from Les Miserables WINNER

• "Learn Me Right, " Birdy Birdy & Mumford and Sons, Mumford and Sons, from Brave

• "Still Alive, " Paul Williams, Paul Williams, Paul Williams: from Still Alive

• "Skyfall, " Adele, Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth, from Skyfall

• "Fire in the Blood/Snake Song, " Emmylou Harris, Emmylou Harris, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, from Lawless

• "Love Always Comes as a Surprise." Peter Asher, Peter Asher & Dave Stewart, from Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Cinematography
Claudio Miranda, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox WINNER

Ben Richardson, for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Mihai Malaimare Jr., for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Janusz Kaminski, for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Roger Deakins, for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Seamus McGarvey, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features

Visual Effects
Michael Lantieri, Kevin Baillie, Ryan Tudhope, Jim Gibbs, for Flight, Paramount Pictures WINNER

• Steve Begg, Arundi Asregadoo, Andrew Whitehurst, for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures

• Richard Stammers, Charley Henley, Martin Hill, for Prometheus, Twentieth Century Fox

• Bill Westenhofer, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox

• Dan Glass, Geoffrey Hancock, Stephane Ceretti, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros.

• Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, for The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros.

Film Editing
Jay Cassidy, for Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER

Lisa Bromwell, for The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Jeremiah O’Driscoll, for Flight, Paramount Pictures
Dylan Tichenor, for Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Alexander Berner, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros
Chris Dickens, for Les Miserables, Universal

Sound (Editing and Mixing)
John Warhurst, Lee Walpole, Simon Hayes, for Les Miserables, Universal WINNER

• Dennis Leonard, Randy Thom, for Flight, Paramount Pictures

• Craig Henighan, Chris Munro, for Snow White & The Huntsman, Universal

• Baard H. Ingebretsen, Tormod Ringes, for Kon-Tiki, The Weinstein Co.

• Drew Kunin, Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox

• Victor Ray Ennis, Ann Scibelli, John Cucci, Mark P. Stoeckinger for Prometheus Twentieth Century Fox

Art Direction & Production Design
Rick Carter, Curt Beech, David Crank, Leslie McDonald, for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone WINNER

• Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh, James Hambidge, Naaman Marshall, for The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros.

• Niels Sejer, for A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures

• David Crank, Jack Fisk, for The Master, The Weinstein Co.

• Sarah Greenwood, Niall Moroney, Thomas Brown, Nick Gottschalk, Tom Still, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features

• Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson, for Les Miserables, Universal

Costume Design
Manon Rasmussen for A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures WINNER

Colleen Atwood for Snow White & The Huntsman, Universal
Christian Gasc, Valerie Ranchoux, for Farewell, My Queen, Cohen Media Group
Jacqueline Durran, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Kym Barrett, Pierre-Yves Gayraud, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros
Paco Delgado, for Les Miserables, Universal


SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the Entertainment Industry: Terence Stamp

Nikola Tesla Award In Recognition of Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology: Walter Murch

Auteur Award: Paul Williams

Honorary Satellite Award: Bruce Davison

Newcomer Award: Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Ensemble, Motion Picture: Les Miserables

Austin Film Critics Name "Zero Dark Thirty" As Best Film of 2012

The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) named Zero Dark Thirty as the "Best Film of 2012," but gave "Best Director" to Paul Thomas Andrson for The Master.

The AFCA describes itself as “a group dedicated to supporting the best in film, whether at the international, national, or local level.” The group includes Austin-based members who write for such publications, television media, and websites as Ain't It Cool News, the Austin American-Statesman, the Austin Chronicle, CNN, Fandango, Film.com, Film School Rejects, Fox News, MSN Movies, Movies.com, among others.

2012 AFCA Awards:

Best Film
"Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, "The Master"

Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"

Best Adapted Screenplay
"Argo"

Best Original Screenplay
"Looper"

Best Cinematography
"The Master"

Best Score
"Cloud Atlas"

Best Animated Film
"Wreck-It Ralph"

Best Foreign Language Film
"Holy Motors" (France/Germany)

Best Documentary
"The Imposter"

Best First Film
"Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Best Austin Film
"Bernie"

Breakthrough Artist Award
Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Special Honorary Award
Matthew McConaughey, "Bernie," "Killer Joe," "Magic Mike" and "The Paperboy"


Top 10:
1. "Zero Dark Thirty"

2. "Argo"

3. "Moonrise Kingdom"

4. "Django Unchained"

5. "Cloud Atlas"

6. "Holy Motors"

7. "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

8. "The Master"

9. "Silver Linings Playbook"

10. "Looper"

Black Film Critics Circle Chooses "Zero Dark Thirty"

The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) chose Zero Dark Thirty as the best film of 2012.  The group was founded in 2010 and is a membership organization comprised of film critics of color from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, radio, television and qualifying on-line publications.

2012 Black Film Critics Circle:

Best Film: "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"

Best Adapted Screenplay: "Argo"

Best Original Screenplay: "Django Unchained"

Best Animated Film: "Rise of the Guardians"

Best Foreign Film: "The Intouchables" (from France)

Best Documentary: "The Central Park Five"

Best Ensemble: "Lincoln"

Oklahoma Film Critics Name "Argo" Best Film of 2012

The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) is the statewide group of professional film critics. OFCC members are Oklahoma-based movie critics who write for print, broadcast and online outlets that publish or post reviews of current film releases.

OFCC 2012 Film Awards:

Top 10 Films
1. “Argo.”

2. “Zero Dark Thirty.”

3. “Moonrise Kingdom.”

4. “Django Unchained.”

5. “Silver Linings Playbook.”

6. “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

7. “The Master.”

8. “Lincoln.”

9. “Looper.”

10. “Les Miserables.”


Best Film: “Argo.”

Best Director: Ben Affleck, “Argo.”

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln.”

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty.”

Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master.”

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables.”

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, “Moonrise Kingdom.”

Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, “Argo.”

Best Animated Film: “Wreck-It Ralph.”

Best Body of Work: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Looper,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Lincoln”)

Best Documentary: “Searching for Sugar Man.”

Best First Feature: “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Benh Zeitlin.

Best Foreign Language Film: “Amour.” (from Austria)

Best Guilty Pleasure: “21 Jump Street.”

Not-So-Obviously Worst Movie: “Prometheus.”

Obviously Worst Movie: “That’s My Boy.”

Utah Film Critics Say "Zero Dark Thirty" the Best 2012

2012 Utah Film Critics Association winners:

Best Picture • "Zero Dark Thirty"
(runner-up: "Looper")

Directing • Wes Anderson, "Moonrise Kingdom"
(runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty")

Lead Actor • Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
(runners-up: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln," and John Hawkes, "The Sessions")

Lead actress TIE • Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook," and Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Supporting Actor • Dwight Henry, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
(runner-up: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master")

Supporting Actress • Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
(runner-up: Ann Dowd, "Compliance")

Original Screenplay • Rian Johnson, "Looper"
(runner-up: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard, "The Cabin in the Woods")

Adapted Screenplay • Stephen Chbosky, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
(runner-up: David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook")

Cinematography • Roger Deakins, "Skyfall"
(runner-up: Claudio Miranda, "Life of Pi")

Documentary Feature • "Indie Game: The Movie"
(runner-up: "The Invisible War")

Non-English Language Feature • "Headhunters" (from Norway)
(runner-up: "Amour" from France)

Animated Feature • "ParaNorman"
(runners-up: "Frankenweenie" and "Wreck-It Ralph")

NY Online Critics Anoint "Zero Dark Thirty" Best of 2012

The New York Film Critics Online is a group of Internet film critics based in New York City that meets once a year, in December, for voting on its annual NYFCO Awards.

A complete list of 2012 honorees follows:

Best Picture: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow – Zero Dark Thirty

Best Debut Director: Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Actress: Emmanuelle Riva – Amour

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln

Best Ensemble Cast: Argo

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

Best Cinematography: Life of Pi – Claudio Miranda

Best Screenplay: Zero Dark Thirty – Mark Boal

Best Use of Music: Django Unchained – Mary Ramos

Breakthrough Performance: Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Animated Feature: Chico and Rita

Best Documentary: The Central Park Five

Best Foreign Language Film: Amour (Austria)

Washington DC Critics Go "Zero Dark Thirty"

Founded in 2002, The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) is comprised of professional DC-based film critics with affiliations in television, radio, print and the internet.

THE 2012 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS (and nominees): Voting was conducted from December 7-9, 2012:

Best Film:
Zero Dark Thirty WINNER
Argo
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) WINNER
Ben Affleck (Argo)
Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)
Tom Hooper (Les Misérables)
Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) WINNER
John Hawkes (The Sessions)
Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables)
Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)
Denzel Washington (Flight)

Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) WINNER
Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone)
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)

Best Supporting Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) WINNER
Alan Arkin (Argo)
Javier Bardem (Skyfall)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained)
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Best Supporting Actress:
Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables) WINNER
Amy Adams (The Master)
Samantha Barks (Les Misérables)
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

Best Acting Ensemble:
Les Misérables WINNER
Argo
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Adapted Screenplay:
David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) WINNER
Chris Terrio (Argo)
David Magee (Life of Pi)
Tony Kushner (Lincoln)
Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Best Original Screenplay:
Rian Johnson (Looper) WINNER
Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom)
Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Animated Feature:
ParaNorman WINNER
Brave
Frankenweenie
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Documentary:
Bully WINNER
The Imposter
The Invisible War
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man

Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour (from Austria) WINNER
The Intouchables (from France)
I Wish (from Japan)
A Royal Affair (from Denmark)
Rust and Bone (from France/Belgium)

Best Art Direction:
Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup - Production Designers; Peter Walpole, Rebecca Alleway - Set Decorators (Cloud Atlas) WINNER

Sarah Greenwood - Production Designer; Katie Spencer - Set Decorator (Anna Karenina)
Eve Stewart - Production Designer; Anna Lynch-Robinson - Set Decorator (Les Misérables)
Rick Carter - Production Designer; Jim Erickson - Set Decorator (Lincoln)
Adam Stockhausen - Production Designer; Kris Moran - Set Decorator (Moonrise Kingdom)

Best Cinematography:
Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi) WINNER
Danny Cohen (Les Misérables)
Mihai Malaimare Jr. (The Master)
Roger Deakins (Skyfall)
Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Score:
Jonny Greenwood (The Master) WINNER
Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
Howard Shore (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
John Williams (Lincoln)
Alexandre Desplat (Moonrise Kingdom)

Best Youth Performance:
Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) WINNER
Jared Gilman (Moonrise Kingdom)
Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom)
Tom Holland (The Impossible)
Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Phoenix Film Critics Say "Argo" is Best Film of 2012

After showering Les Misérables with 12 nominations, the Phoenix Film Critics Society 2012 Annual Awards gives the film one win, Anne Hathaway as best supporting actress.  Argo gets "Best Picture," but "Best Director" goes to Zero Dark Thirty's Kathryn Bigelow.

Phoenix Film Critics Society 2012 Annual Awards winners:

Best Picture: Argo

Top Ten Films
•"Argo"
•"The Avengers"
•"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
•"Les Misérables"
•"Life of Pi"
•"Lincoln"
•"Moonrise Kingdom"
•"Silver Linings Playbook"
•"Skyfall"
•"Zero Dark T`hirty"

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow - "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis - "Lincoln"

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain - "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Philip Seymour Hoffman - "The Master"

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway - "Les Misérables"

Best Ensemble Acting: "Moonrise Kingdom"

Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: "Moonrise Kingdom"

Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Medium: "Argo"

Best Live Action Family Film: "Life of Pi"

Overlooked Film of the Year: "Safety Not Guaranteed"

Best Animated Film: "Wreck-It Ralph"

Best Foreign Language Film: "The Intouchables" (France)

Best Documentary: "Searching for Sugar Man"

Best Original Song: "Skyfall" from "Skyfall"

Best Original Score: "Skyfall"

Best Cinematography: "Life of Pi"

Best Film Editing: "Argo"

Best Production Design: "Moonrise Kingdom"

Best Costume Design: "Anna Karenina"

Best Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"

Best Stunts: "Skyfall"

Breakthrough Performance on Camera: Quvenzhané Wallis - "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Breakthrough Performance Behind the Camera: Benh Zeitlin - "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Best Youth Performance in a Lead or Supporting Role – Male: Tom Holland - "The Impossible"

Best Youth Performance in a Lead or Supporting Role – Female: Quvenzhané Wallis - "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Detroit Film Critics Name "Silver Linings Playbook" Best Film of 2012

The Detroit Film Critics Society, a group of Michigan film critics, announced their "best of 2012" awards yesterday, Friday, December 14, 2012.  I had a feeling that they were jonesing for Silver Linings Playbook after I first saw their nominations list.  I was right; they named the David O. Russell film as the best in five categories, including best film, best director, and in two acting categories.

Detroit Film Critics Society’s Best of 2012:

BEST FILM
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: Lincoln

BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks

BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: Jiro Dreams of Sushi

http://detroitfilmcritics.com/

Review: "The Dark Knight Rises," But the Movie is Bloated

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 58 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Running time: 164 minutes (2 hours, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
WRITERS: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; from a story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan (based upon the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
PRODUCERS: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Emma Thomas
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Wally Pfister (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Lee Smith
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Matthew Modine, Cillian Murphy, Ben Mendelsohn, Burn Gorman, Tom Conti, and Liam Neeson

The subject of this movie review is The Dark Knight Rises, a film directed by Christopher Nolan. It is a sequel to The Dark Knight and is also the third film in Nolan’s “The Dark Knight trilogy,” which began with 2005’s Batman Begins. The Dark Knight Rises is a highly-anticipated film, and I have been anxious to see it for some time.

Now, that I’ve seen The Dark Knight Rises, I must admit that I did not like it. In fact, not long into the movie, I was bored with it and, three times I considered walking out of the theatre. The Dark Knight Rises has some interesting ideas, characters, and subplots, but they don’t really come together to form a complete movies. The story elements feel like they are building up to something big; the film is like a constant upsurge of anticipation that never delivers. Too often, scenes ultimately deliver an anti-climax.

The Dark Knight Rises opens eight years after the events that closed The Dark Knight, which saw Batman (Christian Bale) vanishing into the night after he made it seem as if he (Batman) had killed District Attorney Harvey Dent. By assuming the blame for Dent’s demise, Batman sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) both hoped was the greater good. In a sense, that worked. As the film begins, organized crime in Gotham City is dead.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has given up being Batman and lives in seclusion, but his meeting with Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a cunning cat burglar gets him interested in what is currently happening in the city. Meanwhile, a masked terrorist called Bane (Tom Hardy) has come to Gotham to tear the city down in the name of revolution. Bane’s acts of destruction and terror drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile, but Batman may be no match for Bane

Although the film runs at nearly 2¾ hours, The Dark Knight Rises did not seem too long to me. It did seem bloated. The film does have some good action set pieces, but they combine to form a movie that is too damned loud and obnoxious. Talk about full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Speaking of loud: Hans Zimmer’s score is comically overdone, even farcical. Every time something momentous is about to be said or done, Zimmer unleashes ear-drum pounding brass and Ragnorok synth. The music makes the movie seem either pretentious or a joke.

The new characters are interesting, but they’re equally pompous and hollow. Anne Hathaway has a great moment as Selina Kyle when the character first meets Bruce Wayne that is deliciously cool. After that, the character comes across as tacked-on. Nolan is too coy about her; is she villainess or anti-hero? Please, make up your mind, Mr. Director. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake is a good character lost in the excesses of this movie. Tom Hardy’s Bane is scary, but his frightfulness is mitigated by this story’s murky intentions. Utterly underutilized are two supporting characters: Bruce Wayne’s business rival, John Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), and his assistant, Stryver (Burn Gorman). The actors give this film’s best performances, and the characters are this movie’s dynamic duo. I was sad when they “left” the story.

All of The Dark Knight Rises’ characters, settings, sub-plots, and action don’t lead from point A to point B – beginning, middle, and end. They come together as one huge rambling wreck that eventually crashes, which we can call the end of the movie. The story is a good idea, but the screenplay is overkill. This is Christopher Nolan’s worst major film to date. If I did not know better, I would think that Joel Schumacher had directed The Dark Knight Rises, but this movie’s self-importance reminds me that this is a Chris Nolan flick.

4 of 10
C

Saturday, July 21, 2012

---------------------

About this Movie: The Dark Knight Rises

WARNER BROS. PICTURES Presents
In Association with Legendary Pictures
A Syncopy Films Production
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
WRITERS: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; from a story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan (based upon the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
PRODUCERS: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Emma Thomas
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Wally Pfister (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Lee Smith
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

OPENING DATE: Friday, July 20, 2012
RUN TIME: 164 minutes
RATING: MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman

Synopsis:
Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. "The Dark Knight Rises" also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

The screenplay is written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on "Batman Begins" and the record-breaking blockbuster "The Dark Knight." The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters created by Bob Kane and published by DC Comics.

Behind the scenes, "The Dark Knight Rises" reunites the director with several of his longtime collaborators, all of whom worked together on "The Dark Knight." The creative team includes director of photography Wally Pfister, who won an Oscar® for his work on Nolan's "Inception"; production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh; editor Lee Smith; and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming ("Topsy-Turvy"). In addition, Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, who both won Oscars® for the effects in "Inception," supervised the visual and special effects, respectively. The music is composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer ("The Lion King").

In helming the film, Christopher Nolan utilized IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on "The Dark Knight," which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was even partially shot with the large-format cameras.

"The Dark Knight Rises" will be presented on 70-millimeter film in 102 IMAX 15/70mm locations worldwide. Christopher Nolan stated, "Having shot almost half the picture with large-format IMAX film cameras, it is very important to me that we show 'The Dark Knight Rises' in the IMAX film format wherever possible. Audiences everywhere should be assured that every presentation of the film will be of the highest standard—having benefited from the clarity and depth IMAX cameras offer. However, these 102 screens will showcase the original IMAX film photography in its optimum form, and I hope anyone who has an opportunity to experience the film in these theatres will seek it out."

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Film by Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight Rises." Opening in theatres and IMAX, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/

About "The Dark Knight Rises" - The Cast

About the Cast if The Dark Knight Rises

CHRISTIAN BALE (Bruce Wayne/Batman) was born in Wales and grew up in England and the USA. He made his film debut in Steven Spielberg's World War II epic "Empire of the Sun."

His film work to date also includes "Henry V," "The Portrait of a Lady," "The Secret Agent," "Metroland," "Velvet Goldmine," "All the Little Animals," "American Psycho," "Laurel Canyon," "The Machinist," "Batman Begins," "The New World," "The Prestige," "Harsh Times," "Rescue Dawn," "3:10 to Yuma," "I'm Not There," "The Dark Knight," "Public Enemies," "The Fighter," and "The Flowers of War."

Audiences will next see him in Terrence Malick's "Knight of Cups," and he recently completed filming "Out of the Furnace."

MICHAEL CAINE (Alfred), a two-time Academy Award® winner, has appeared in more than 100 films in a career spanning over half a century. He first played the role of Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred, in the 2005 hit, "Batman Begins," which also marked his first collaboration with director Christopher Nolan. He returned to the part in the 2008 blockbuster "The Dark Knight." "The Dark Knight Rises" marks Caine's fifth collaboration with Nolan. He has also acted under Nolan's direction in "The Prestige," for which he won a London Film Critics' Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, and 2010's most talked-about film, "Inception."

Caine's upcoming films include Louis Leterrier's thriller "Now You See Me," with Morgan Freeman, and "Mr. Morgan's Last Love," based on the novel La Douceur Assassine by Françoise Dorner, in which he plays the title role under the direction of Sandra Nettelbeck.

Caine won his first Oscar®, for Best Supporting Actor, for his work in Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters," for which he also received Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations. He took home his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar® for his role in Lasse Hallström's "The Cider House Rules," also winning a Screen Actors Guild Award® and earning Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations.

He has garnered four more Oscar® nominations for Best Actor, the first coming in 1966 for the title role in "Alfie," for which he also received a Golden Globe nomination and a New York Film Critics Award. He earned his second Oscar® nod, in addition to a Golden Globe nomination and an Evening Standard Award, for the part of Milo Tindle in 1972's "Sleuth," opposite Laurence Olivier. His role in "Educating Rita" brought him his third Oscar® nomination, as well as Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards. He gained his latest Oscar®, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations for his work in 2002's "The Quiet American," for which he also won a London Film Critics' Circle Award. In addition, Caine won Golden Globe and London Film Critics' Circle Awards and received a BAFTA Award nomination, all for Best Supporting Actor, for "Little Voice."

Caine was born Maurice Micklewhite in South London in 1933 and developed an interest in acting at an early age. Upon his discharge from the Queen's Royal Regiment and Royal Fusiliers in 1953, he began pursuing his career. Taking his stage name from the title "The Caine Mutiny," he toured Britain in a variety of plays and began appearing in British films and television shows.

In 1964, Caine landed his first major film role as Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in "Zulu." The following year, he starred in the hit thriller "The Ipcress File," earning his first of 37 BAFTA Award nominations for his portrayal of secret agent Harry Palmer. However, it was his Oscar®-nominated performance in the seminal '60s film "Alfie" that catapulted Caine to international stardom. He went on to star in eleven more films during the late '60s, including "The Ipcress File" sequels, "Funeral in Berlin" and "Billion Dollar Brain"; "Gambit," earning a Golden Globe nomination; "Hurry Sundown"; "Woman Times Seven"; "Deadfall"; "The Magus"; "The Italian Job"; and "Battle of Britain."

Over the next two decades, Caine had diverse roles in more than 40 films, including Robert Aldrich's "Too Late the Hero"; "X, Y and Zee," opposite Elizabeth Taylor; John Huston's "The Man Who Would Be King"; "Harry and Walter Go to New York"; Richard Attenborough's "A Bridge Too Far"; the Neil Simon comedy "California Suite"; Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill"; John Huston's "Victory"; Sidney Lumet's "Deathtrap"; Stanley Donen's "Blame It on Rio"; John Frankenheimer's "The Holcroft Covenant"; Neil Jordan's "Mona Lisa"; and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

Continuing to work almost non-stop, Caine has since starred in such films as "Blood and Wine," "Quills," "Miss Congeniality," "Austin Powers in Goldmember," "The Weather Man," "Children of Men," and "Harry Brown," in the title role. His most recent films include "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," and he also lent his voice to the animated features "Cars 2" and "Gnomeo & Juliet."

Apart from his work onscreen, Caine wrote an autobiography entitled What's It All About?, as well as Acting on Film, a book based on a series of lectures he gave on BBC Television. His latest memoir, The Elephant to Hollywood, was published in 2010 by Henry Holt and Co. in the United States.

In the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours, Caine was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.). Eight years later, he received his knighthood.

GARY OLDMAN (Commissioner Gordon) has been a legendary presence on the screen for more than 25 years and is known to millions worldwide for his embodiment of some of cinema's most iconic characters. In addition to Commissioner Jim Gordon, he has portrayed such wide-ranging and unforgettable roles as Harry Potter's beloved godfather, Sirius Black; Dracula; Beethoven; Lee Harvey Oswald; Sid Vicious; and John le Carré's ultimate spy, George Smiley, in an Oscar®-nominated performance.

Oldman is one of the highest-grossing actors at the global box office, having appeared in a number of the most successful films of all time, including the top-grossing Harry Potter franchise. He originated the part of Sirius Black in 2004's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," and reprised his role in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," and the record breaking finale, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2."

He first played Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan's 2005 hit "Batman Begins." Oldman returned to the role of Batman's crime-fighting ally in 2008's billion dollar blockbuster "The Dark Knight."

In 2011, Oldman portrayed master spy George Smiley in the film version of John le Carré's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." In addition to an Oscar® nomination, Oldman's performance was recognized with a BAFTA Award nomination, a British Independent Film Award nomination, and an Empire Award, all for Best Actor.

He has repeatedly been honored for his work on the screen, including the 2011 Empire Icon Award, bestowed for a lifetime of outstanding achievements; the Gotham Awards' Career Tribute Award; and the International Star of the Year Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival.

Oldman began his acting career on the stage in 1979, and for the next few years he worked exclusively in the theatre. From 1985 through 1989, he performed at London's Royal Court. His earliest onscreen work includes the BBC films "Meantime," for director Mike Leigh, and "The Firm," directed by the late Alan Clarke.

He followed with such features as "Sid & Nancy"; "Prick Up Your Ears," directed by Stephen Frears; Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead"; "State of Grace"; "JFK," for director Oliver Stone; and the title role in "Bram Stoker's Dracula," directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Among Oldman's many other credits are "True Romance," directed by Tony Scott; "Romeo is Bleeding"; the Luc Besson-directed films "The Professional" and "The Fifth Element"; "Immortal Beloved"; "Murder in the First"; "The Scarlett Letter," directed by Roland Joffé; "Lost in Space"; Wolfgang Petersen's "Air Force One," as the terrorist who hijacked the plane of the President, played by Harrison Ford; and "The Book of Eli."

In 1995, with manager/producing partner Douglas Urbanski, he formed a production company, which subsequently produced the highly acclaimed "Nil by Mouth," marking Oldman's directing and writing debut. The film was selected to open the main competition for the 1997 50th Anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, where Kathy Burke won Best Actress and Oldman was nominated for a Palme d'Or. Among the film's other honors, Oldman won the prestigious Channel 4 Director's Prize at the Edinburgh Film Festival; an Empire Award; a BAFTA Award, shared with Urbanski, for Best Film; and a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.

In 2000, Oldman starred in the political drama "The Contender," which he and Urbanski also produced. The film, which also starred Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges, Christian Slater and Sam Elliott, received a number of award recognitions, including two Oscar® nominations.

ANNE HATHAWAY (Selina Kyle) was honored with an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Jonathan Demme's critically acclaimed drama "Rachel Getting Married." For her work in the film, Hathaway also earned Golden Globe, Independent Spirit Award and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® nominations, and also won the National Board of Review, Chicago Film Critics Association, and Critics' Choice Awards for Best Actress. She more recently received another Golden Globe nomination, for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, for her role in Edward Zwick's "Love and Other Drugs," opposite Jake Gyllenhaal.

Later this year, Hathaway stars as Fantine in Tom Hooper's much-anticipated feature film adaptation of the beloved musical "Les Misérables," opening in December.

Hathaway made an auspicious feature film debut with a starring role in Garry Marshall's 2001 hit comedy "The Princess Diaries," and reprised her role in "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement." Her early film credits also include Douglas McGrath's screen rendition of Charles Dickens' "Nicholas Nickleby" and the title role in "Ella Enchanted."

In 2005, Hathaway co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Ang Lee's groundbreaking drama "Brokeback Mountain," and was nominated with her castmates for a SAG Award® nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast. The following year, she received widespread acclaim for her performance in the smash hit "The Devil Wears Prada," opposite Meryl Streep.

Hathaway has also starred in such diverse films as Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland"; "Valentine's Day," which reunited her with Garry Marshall; Gary Winick's "Bride Wars"; Rodrigo Garcia's "Passengers"; Peter Segal's "Get Smart"; the Jane Austen biopic "Becoming Jane"; "Havoc"; and "The Other Side of Heaven." In addition, she lent her voice to the animated hit features "Rio" and "Hoodwinked!," and, in 2010, won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for the role of Princess Penelope on an episode of "The Simpsons."

Hathaway's theatre credits include Shakespeare in the Park's 2009 production of "Twelfth Night"; Lincoln Center's Encores! presentation of "Carnival," for which she won a 2002 Clarence Derwent Award; Andrew Lloyd Webber's workshop of "Woman in White"; and "Forever Your Child." She also participated in the 2005 celebration gala for Stephen Sondheim's 75th birthday.

In January 2005, Hathaway traveled to Cambodia on behalf of the documentary "A Moment in the World," organized by Angelina Jolie. The project placed approximately 25 participants in various locations on a specific day, each instructed to videotape their surroundings at the same specific moment in time.

Born in New York, Hathaway studied acting at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and at the award-winning Barrow Group in New York City, where she was the first and only teen ever admitted to their intensive acting program. In 2005, she was honored for her achievements by the Barrow Group. She also studied in the musical theatre program with the Collaborative Arts Project, CAP 21, affiliated with NYU. An accomplished dancer, she studied at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Additionally, she performed in two concerts at Carnegie Hall as a member of the All-Eastern US High School Honors Chorus. She began her professional career on television on the series "Get Real."

TOM HARDY (Bane) is currently in production on George Miller's new post-apocalyptic actioner, in which he takes on the role of Mad Max, opposite Charlize Theron. He will next be seen in the crime drama "Lawless," which premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

Hardy previously collaborated with director Christopher Nolan in the thought-provoking 2010 thriller "Inception," alongside an international cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio. He recently also starred in the boxing drama "Warrior," with Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton, and the thriller "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," with Gary Oldman.

Hailing from Great Britain, Hardy began his screen career when he was plucked straight from London's Drama Centre for a role in HBO's award-winning World War II miniseries "Band of Brothers," executive produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. He made his feature film debut in Ridley Scott's war drama "Black Hawk Down," followed by the sci-fi adventure "Star Trek: Nemesis."

In 2008, Hardy delivered a powerhouse performance in the title role of the drama "Bronson," for which he won a British Independent Film Award, and earned nominations for a London Film Critics' Circle Award and an Evening Standard Film Award, all in the category of Best Actor.

On television, Hardy received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the HBO movie "Stuart: A Life Backwards." He also portrayed Heathcliff in the 2009 ITV production of "Wuthering Heights." His work on the small screen also includes the telefilms "Oliver Twist," "A for Andromeda," "Sweeney Todd," "Gideon's Daughter," and "Colditz," as well as the BBC miniseries "The Virgin Queen."

Hardy has also starred in numerous plays in London's West End, including "Blood" and "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings," winning the Outstanding Newcomer Award at the 2003 Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his work in both productions. For the latter play, he was also nominated for a 2004 Olivier Award. In 2005, Hardy starred in the London premiere of Brett C. Leonard's "Roger and Vanessa." His later stage work includes Rufus Norris' adaptation of "Festen," at the Almeida; "The Modernists," at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre; "The Man of Mode," for the National Theatre; and the 2010 world premiere of Leonard's "The Long Red Road," directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman at Chicago's Goodman Theatre.

MARION COTILLARD (Miranda Tate) won a Best Actress Academy Award® for her performance in "La Vie en Rose," making her the first actress to earn an Oscar® for a performance in the French language. For her captivating portrayal of legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf in that film, Cotillard also won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe and a César Award, and received Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® and Critics' Choice Award nominations.

"The Dark Knight Rises" marks the second collaboration for Cotillard and Christopher Nolan. She previously worked under Nolan's direction in the 2010 hit thriller "Inception," opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.

This fall, Cotillard will be seen in Guillaume Canet's comedy/drama "Little White Lies;" and the drama "Rust & Bone," which screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Recently, Cotillard completed production on the as-yet-untitled drama, directed by James Gray and also starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner; as well as the crime drama "Blood Ties," which reunited her with director Guillaume Canet.

Cotillard first gained attention for her work in the successful French "Taxi" film series, written by Luc Besson, for which she received a César Award nomination. She was introduced to American moviegoers with her role in Tim Burton's 2003 fantasy drama "Big Fish," and also starred that year in Yann Samuell's "Love Me If You Dare." Cotillard won her first César Award, for Best Supporting Actress, for her performance in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "A Very Long Engagement." She went on to star in a number of French films, as well as Ridley Scott's "A Good Year."

In 2009, Cotillard starred in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" and Rob Marshall's screen adaptation of the hit musical "Nine." For her role in the latter, she received Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award nominations, in addition to sharing in a SAG Award® nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast. Her additional film credits include Steven Soderbergh's thriller "Contagion," as well as Woody Allen's acclaimed romantic comedy "Midnight in Paris," for which she shared in a SAG Award® nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast with Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates, and Rachel McAdams.

In 2010, Cotillard was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, for her contribution to the enrichment of French culture. Born in Paris, she studied drama at Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique in Orléans.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT (John Blake) is one of today's busiest actors and has also been showcasing his talents behind the camera. Following "The Dark Knight Rises," he stars in three more films due out this year: the thriller "Premium Rush," for writer/director David Koepp; Rian Johnson's sci-fi thriller "Looper," which he stars in with Emily Blunt and Bruce Willis and also executive produced; and the Steven Spielberg-directed biopic "Lincoln," playing Robert Todd Lincoln. In addition, Gordon-Levitt is currently making his feature film directorial debut on the comedy "Don Jon's Addiction," which he also wrote and stars in with Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore.

Gordon-Levitt recently earned his second Golden Globe nomination in the category of Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for his performance in the comedy/drama "50/50," in which he starred with Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard. He previously garnered Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations for his work in the award-winning sleeper hit "(500) Days of Summer," opposite Zooey Deschanel.

In 2010, Gordon-Levitt starred in Christopher Nolan's hit thriller "Inception," joining an international all-star cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy. He also played the title role in the independent drama "Hesher," which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

His broad range of film credits also include the global action hit "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," for director Stephen Sommers; Spike Lee's World War II drama "Miracle at St. Anna"; Kimberly Peirce's controversial drama "Stop-Loss"; and the crime drama "The Lookout," which marked Scott Frank's directorial debut. In addition, Gordon-Levitt has received widespread praise for his performances in such independent features as John Madden's "Killshot"; Lee Daniels' "Shadowboxer"; Rian Johnson's award-winning debut film, "Brick"; "Mysterious Skin," for writer/director Gregg Araki; and "Manic," with Don Cheadle.

Early in his career, Gordon-Levitt won a Young Artist Award for his first major role, in Robert Redford's drama "A River Runs Through It." He went on to co-star in "Angels in the Outfield," "The Juror," "Halloween H20" and "10 Things I Hate About You."

Gordon-Levitt is also well known to television audiences for his starring role on NBC's award-winning comedy series "3rd Rock from the Sun." During his six seasons on the show, he won two YoungStar Awards and also shared in three Screen Actors Guild Award® nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series Cast. Following the series, Gordon-Levitt took a short break from acting to attend Columbia University.

Gordon-Levitt founded and directs an open collaborative production company called hitRECord.org comprised of an online community of thousands of artists from all over the world. Through the site, more than 40,000 participants have had the opportunity to team together to create short films, music, art or stories. The company has presented evenings of short film and live entertainment at the Sundance and South by Southwest Film Festivals; toured some of the country's top colleges; published Tiny Book of Tiny Stories (released by Harper Collins in December 2011); and last fall released a DVD/book/CD called RECollection Volume 1.

A budding writer/director in the more traditional sense, as well, Gordon-Levitt adapted the Elmore Leonard story "Sparks" into a 24-minute short film. Marking his directorial debut, the short screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

MORGAN FREEMAN (Lucius Fox) won an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby," for which he also won a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® and received a Golden Globe nomination. In 2009, he reunited with Eastwood to star in the director's true-life drama "Invictus," on which Freeman also served as an executive producer under his Revelations Entertainment banner. For his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the film, Freeman garnered Oscar®, Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award nominations, and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor.

Freeman has been honored with three additional Oscar® nominations, the first for his chilling performance in the 1987 drama "Street Smart," which also brought him Los Angeles Film Critics, New York Film Critics, and National Society of Film Critics Awards, and an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He earned his second Oscar® nomination and won Golden Globe and National Board of Review Awards for Best Actor for the 1989 film "Driving Miss Daisy," in which he recreated his award-winning off-Broadway role. He gained his third Oscar® nod, as well as Golden Globe and SAG Award® nominations, for his performance in Frank Darabont's 1994 drama "The Shawshank Redemption." Among his many other accolades, Freeman was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2008, and, in 2011, was honored with the 39th AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globe Awards.

In "The Dark Knight Rises," Freeman reprises the role he played in Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight." Freeman has several films upcoming, including the thriller "Now You See Me," under the direction of Louis Leterrier, and the science fiction actioner "Oblivion," in which he stars with Tom Cruise.

Freeman's long list of film credits also includes "Dolphin Tale"; "RED"; Rob Reiner's "The Bucket List," opposite Jack Nicholson; Robert Benton's "Feast of Love"; Ben Affleck's "Gone Baby Gone"; Lasse Hallström's "An Unfinished Life"; the Jet Li actioner "Unleashed"; the comedy "Bruce Almighty" and its sequel, "Evan Almighty"; "The Sum of All Fears"; "Along Came a Spider"; "Nurse Betty"; "Deep Impact"; Steven Spielberg's "Amistad"; "Kiss the Girls"; David Fincher's "Se7en"; "Glory"; "Lean on Me"; "Harry & Son," directed by and starring Paul Newman; and "Brubaker." He also lent his distinctive voice to such projects as Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" and the Oscar®-winning documentary "March of the Penguins."

In 1993, Freeman made his directorial debut on "Bopha!" and soon after formed Revelations Entertainment. Other Revelations productions include "Levity," "Under Suspicion," "Mutiny," "Along Came a Spider," "Feast of Love," "10 Items or Less" and "Maiden Heist."

The Memphis-born actor began his career on the stages of New York in the early 1960s, following a stint as a mechanic in the Air Force. A decade later, he became a nationally known television personality when he created the popular character Easy Reader on the acclaimed children's show "The Electric Company."

Throughout the 1970s, he continued his work on stage, winning Drama Desk and Clarence Derwent Awards and receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance in "The Mighty Gents" in 1978. In 1980, he won two Obie Awards, for his portrayal of Shakespearean anti-hero Coriolanus at the New York Shakespeare Festival and for his work in "Mother Courage and Her Children." Freeman won another Obie in 1984 for his performance as The Messenger in the acclaimed Brooklyn Academy of Music production of Lee Breuer's "The Gospel at Colonus" and, in 1985, won the Drama-Logue Award for the same role. In 1987, Freeman created the role of Hoke Coleburn in Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Driving Miss Daisy," which brought him his fourth Obie Award. In 1990, Freeman starred as Petruchio in the New York Shakespeare Festival's "The Taming of the Shrew," opposite Tracey Ullman. Returning to the Broadway stage in 2008, Freeman starred with Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher in Clifford Odett's drama "The Country Girl," directed by Mike Nichols.

Batman Vehicles Tour the U.S. Before "The Dark Knight Rises"

The Tumbler and the Bat-Pod Are Rolling from Coast-to-Coast

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fans who have been eagerly awaiting the July 20 release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” will have an opportunity to get a firsthand look at the Tumbler and the Bat-Pod, which are rolling out on a coast-to-coast tour, sponsored by Mountain Dew and IMAX®.

Both the Tumbler and the Bat-Pod have served as high-powered modes of transportation for Batman in Christopher Nolan’s earlier blockbusters—with the Tumbler first appearing in “Batman Begins,” and the Bat-Pod being introduced in “The Dark Knight.” They will both be featured in different ways in the hugely anticipated finale to the director’s Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Leading up to the opening of the film, the Tumbler and the Bat-Pod will be making their way across North America, appearing in the following cities and towns*:

Bentonville, Arkansas May 12

Tulsa, Oklahoma May 15

Overland Park, Kansas May 19

Kansas City, Missouri May 21

Chicago, Illinois May 25

Washington, DC May 27

Baltimore, Maryland May 28

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania May 30

Buffalo, New York June 1

Toronto, Canada June 7

Montreal, Canada June 10

Purchase, New York June 12

Columbus, Ohio June 13

Lansing, Michigan June 15

Detroit, Michigan June 16

Brooklyn, Michigan June 17

Indianapolis, Indiana June 19

Nashville, Tennessee June 21

Knoxville, Tennessee June 22

Atlanta, Georgia June 23

Dallas, Texas June 25

San Antonio, Texas June 27

El Paso, Texas June 29

Albuquerque, New Mexico July 1

Phoenix, Arizona July 2

Los Angeles, California July 7

*Please note that dates and locations are subject to change, and more may be added.

More information on the tour can be found at:
http://www.tumblertour.com/
www.facebook.com/tumblertour
@tumblertour


About “The Dark Knight Rises”:
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Film by Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight Rises.” The film stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Morgan Freeman.

Christopher Nolan directed the film from a screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven are the producers, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers, and Jordan Goldberg co-producing. “The Dark Knight Rises” is based upon Batman characters created by Bob Kane and published by DC Comics.

Opening in theatres and IMAX on July 20, 2012, “The Dark Knight Rises” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language.

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/