In Toonari Post’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ review, the plot, actors, and their characters were examined. All of these elements were able to come together through careful writing and masterful directing that brings honor to filmmaking as well as storytelling. Another aspect that makes ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ so amazing is how it integrates comic book and graphic novel storylines in a way that pays homage to past writers of Batman and takes its own creative spin on their work.

One of the most excellent things about ‘Rises’ is that it incorporates storylines from the Batman comics. “Knightfall,” a comic series written in 1993, is an intense story in which Bane learns Batman’s identity and breaks his spine, leaving him paralyzed for an extended period of time. ‘Rises’ also includes elements of anarchy from the 1999 comic “No Man’s Land” where an earthquake leaves Gotham cut off from the mainland and the city erupts into chaos.

Another aspect the film adapts is that Bane and Ra’s al Ghul are connected because in the comics “Bane of the Demon,” after Batman refuses to marry Talia, Ra’s daughter, Ra’s seeks out Bane instead to continue his quest to dominate the world in order to save it. Ra’s recognizes the same power and discipline in Bane that he formerly saw in Bruce, but he notices Bane is willing to kill and sacrifice innocent lives in order to achieve the League of Shadows’ ultimate goal of world peace. ‘Rises’ cleverly plays on the dynamic between Ra’s and Bane as well as Ra’s and Bruce to make them foils of each other.

Additionally, Selina Kyle is accompanied by a young woman who may or may not be her best friend from the “Batman: Year One” comics, Holly Robinson. The small references to these comics and characters show that Christopher Nolan understands the mythos that helps make Batman one of the most notable and incredible heroes to date.

‘Rises’ also draws inspiration from Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” because of its character arc for Bruce Wayne. In ‘Rises’, Bruce has to overcome the physical limits of his body as well as the psychological problems he has developed after the death of Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent, both of whom were dear friends.

As Alfred points out, Bruce never returned to being himself after Rachel died because he thought she never got a chance to move on and so he felt that he had no future without her. After Alfred reveals that Rachel had chosen Harvey over him before she died, Bruce is motivated to come out of retirement and pick up the cape and cowl once again, thus forcing him to rise above his own limitations as well as the obstacles presented by Gotham’s criminal underbelly.

In fact, the rise theme is woven into the story with all of the characters as they are forced to become even better than they ever thought they could be in order to save Gotham City. For instance, Detective John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes an unofficial apprentice to Bruce not long after he returns to being Batman.

As the film progresses, he begins to see that the path of a Gotham City detective may not be right for him because of the limited power they have when it comes to saving the city. The decision to imply that Det. Blake would take his place as Gotham’s new savior is even more surprising as Nolan has stated before that he did not have any interest in including Dick Grayson, aka Robin, in his movies.

He even gives a clever nod to the name while still creating a unique character who has bits and pieces of Dick Grayson, the original Robin, in him. Blake’s involvement in the story has a similar tone to a recent run in the Batman comics where Nightwing takes up the cape and cowl as Bruce Wayne has gone missing.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ shows that it is possible to create a deeply moving story with respect to the comic books as well as original creative vision. Everyone involved in this film, from start to finish, has outdone themselves. ‘Rises’ is a worthy ending to an incredible trilogy that will never be forgotten.

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Gary Oldman, oscar-nominated for his performance in the spy thriller ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ reveals, “The title of the story is taken from the name of a nursery rhyme: ‘Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief.’ Some of these are used to refer to the high-ranking men under suspicion. Just about everyone and everything has got a code name.”

Screenwriters Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan accordingly retained many of the code names and monikers that John le Carré mapped out in his original novel. To name but a couple, there are the ‘Mothers’ in the typing den and the ‘Scalphunters’ out in the field. Casting the Circus ensemble around Oldman as Smiley “wasn’t that hard,” says producer Robyn Slovo. “We had a great screenplay based on an iconic novel, with a great actor in the lead role. We got our first or second choices at every turn.”

Director Tomas Alfredson adds, “We needed strong actors who could balance each other. I think we achieved that; when you see the Circus conference table with these guys gathered, well, it was like a candy shop for me as the director.” Producer Tim Bevan notes, “We had people coming to the table because these kind of character roles aren’t around so much in films these days. Actors want to play them.”

At the top of the Circus is Smiley’s friend and mentor, known only as Control, played by two-time Academy Award nominee John Hurt. Oldman says, “I’ve admired John’s work since before I became an actor. I loved every minute of being in his company.” Hurt comments, “Control is not an enormous part. In fact, I call it the shortest leading part I’ve ever played. It is one, though, because it’s central and what he knows – or suspects – about the mole gets carried through by Smiley right to the end of the film.”

“Once Control becomes privy to the fact that there is a mole at the top of MI6 – a huge hole in his own outfit – it causes him great agony, because these are the people that he works with and this has been his life’s work.”

Even though Control is close to Smiley, he still counts his friend among the suspects. But in line with the rhyme, the lineup begins with ‘tinker,’ Percy Alleline. Percy is able to wrest oversight of the Circus from Control, as a result of a botched mission – the ripple effect of which is gradually revealed during the course of the film.

Toby Jones, cast as Percy, sees his character as, “to a certain extent, the vehicle for change, in the sense that his own ambition means that he seeks to reform the way that the Circus is organized. But every character in this film is potentially both a pawn and a knight, as it were. So while Percy thinks he’s pushing, he’s also being pulled.

“Percy lacks respect for the way in which things have been done previously at the Circus. He is that dangerous reforming spirit who appears to be without caution, and it’s exactly that kind of spirit which can be conditioned and controlled by someone with malevolent intent. His weakness in his desire for power is exactly the kind of weakness that could be exploited.”

The power shift atop the Circus that occurs early in the story benefits the personable Bill Haydon, portrayed by Academy Award winner Colin Firth. Given that Haydon is better-attired than the other senior members of the Circus, he is the ‘tailor’ among the mole suspects. Firth comments, “Haydon wields considerable power in dealing with foreign operations.

He’s very much looked up to by some of the younger members of the organization, with hero worship. They’re subscribing to his self-image; dashing, with a kind of glamour and rather cavalier – for example, he’s the one who rides his bicycle into the office and through the typewriter pool. That’s indicative of the confidence and flair that he operates with…

“But all these characters are extremely lonely. I remember somebody misinterpreting John le Carré’s work as ‘boy’s stuff without any emotion’, and I think that couldn’t be further from the truth. All of these men are highly trained, but their idealism has been bruised. Each of them is vulnerable in some way, and they’re not particularly capable of intimacy. Even when they are, there is betrayal. Through it all, these are men that cannot afford to indulge their emotions.”

The workmanlike Roy Bland, played by Ciarán Hinds, is tagged as ‘soldier’ by Control. Hinds sees Roy as being part of “this cabal who senses opportunity when the power balance suddenly shifts. With Control out, Roy is able to move forward and pursue his ideas more aggressively. He’s direct, but he’s also learned to play games.

“His colleagues are not aristocratic; I’d say they’re middle-class or probably upperclass. Roy comes from a sort of working-class home. He’s well-read and was able to get into a ‘red-brick’ university. I saw him as being motivated a lot by his father’s ideas of politics, which would have been more radical, more left-wing. This serves him well in terms of making contacts in the Eastern Bloc.”

Several names from the rhyme are not borrowed by Control for the suspects’ IDs, in part to avoid confusion and in part because there are only so many suspects. Oldman opines, “When Smiley discovers that he’s on the list, I think his admiration for Control – which is already high – soars!” The ‘poor man’ label is ascribed to Toby Esterhase, played by David Dencik.

The character “allies himself with Percy Alleline, because he knows Percy’s taking over with Control out,” notes Dencik. “Esterhase seeks out what will be best for himself. He speaks several languages, he came over from Hungary, and he wants so much to integrate into British society.

“The Circus is very segregated; people very much hold information for themselves, or share it with some colleagues but not others. Esterhase likes and respects Smiley, who helped him somewhat to get to where he is today.”

While Esterhase looms in the Circus’ future, Connie Sachs lingers in its past; the lone female Circus player in the story, this former “Queen of Research” is one of the few people Smiley trusts, even though she is permanently out of the spy game by the time his investigation begins.

Kathy Burke, cast as Connie, clarifies, “She’s still a smart cookie who doesn’t miss a trick, and remains very into the Soviets and what they’re up to and what they’re about. She feels particularly close to Smiley, because she sees him as incredibly smart, and loyal. He’s always treated her as an equal.

“Hearing that Control has been ousted devastates her, because she knows that it’s the end of an era. She remembers when everybody was a team, and there was no fear that somebody amongst them could be working for the other side. She wants to remember everybody as they were, and I do think she was in love with a colleague at some point.” Connie is a particular favorite of many who have read le Carré’s book.

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Coordinating with production designer Maria Djurkovic, costume designer Jacqueline Durran had to thread into her designs for the Oscar nominated ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ for each character’s idiosyncrasy, while trying to illuminate their secretive natures.

Yet the basic outfits of the players of MI6 — the Circus — remained straightforward, and so Durran’s team veered even farther away from 1970s clichés than Djurkovic’s. As the costume designer explains, “Because the main characters in the story are middle-aged and upper-middle-class, they dress not all that far removed from how they would have for the past 10-15 years. They would have chosen the style of their suits as younger men, and probably stuck with it.

“We accessed all the different colors of suiting available to men of that period, but not even a sharp dresser like Haydon or a younger agent like Guillam would be sporting something strange and outlandish. It was also about, what set of associations do the men want to promote to their colleagues and peers? These MI6 men were not going to [the U.K.’s famed 1960s fashion mecca] Carnaby Street, they were going to [the more traditional tailors’ locus] Savile Row as they always have.”

Durran cites George Smiley’s costume as an example of director Tomas Alfredson’s attention to detail, pointing out that “Tomas always said from the beginning that he wanted Gary [Oldman] to wear a gray suit. So we had an ex-Savile Row tailor create a plain dark gray three-piece in the style of the 1950s.

“Tomas’ initial thought was that Gary wouldn’t change costume at all from scene to scene, that Smiley would wear that one suit every day. But Tomas, Gary, and I then figured we would probably benefit from the one change. So I found the darkest gray, most plain tweed available, and we made a sports jacket – in exactly the same pattern as the suit. The viewer might not even notice, but we realized that we needed to do it for ourselves.”

That realization soon impacted her and Alfredson’s approach to the other characters. Given that numerous scenes would feature what she calls “a sea of suits,” Durran reveals that “we chose a telling detail for each person and saw that they were constant. Most of the characters have two suits; some only have one.

Visually, it would have been more confusing if they were constantly changing clothes, so it was clearer to keep everyone consistent. It helps peg the players in this game, just as Control has. For example, Esterhase – beyond his two suits – has his pipe, which Tomas suggested.

“With the hard work and creativity everyone has put in, the film looks and feels authentic. I think it gave the actors confidence.”

“It was a joy to come to work,” affirms Oldman. “The cast and the crew were all great people who were good at their jobs.” Stephen Graham adds, “This was like getting picked to play for England. You’re in drama school, eating beans on toast, and you never dream that you’re going to be working with people like Gary Oldman and John Hurt.

Then you do, and it gives you even more inspiration.” Mark Strong states, “This shoot was a revelation, and not only because of playing scenes from a brilliant script with these actors. There was a director who was guiding you towards the kind of character details and extra layers that you’re always hoping to discover, and who comes at everything from different angles that would often astonish.”

Alfredson remembers one day as being especially ideal. “We were shooting the Circus holiday party sequence over two days, with 100 extras. I’d worked out the shots with Hoyte, and Maria and Jacqueline’s teams had everything right.

“John le Carré came to the set the second day, and all the cast and crew crowded to see him. We knew we had to keep working, and Robyn Slovo had told his wife that we’d put him into the scene, so now he was going to be part of his own story.”

The author muses, “I had to imagine who I was, at my great age, sitting in that Circus community. I decided that I was an elderly gay librarian who’d been brought in for love of old times, and was given license to get plastered.” Producer Tim Bevan notes, “He had a good time. I think those were the only two days that all of the principal actors are in the same scene; this is because the sequence takes place in the past, significantly, back when everything was fine at the Circus – or at least seemed fine.

“In fact, it’s a scene that’s not in the book.”

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The season of the golden statue is upon us, and the heat is increasing in the top categories. Where is the wind blowing this year? One of the most coveted awards, along with the Leading Actress trophy, is that of Best Male Lead.

This year, the battle is between experienced and seasoned performances, all around age 40 and up. At the same time, there are many first-timers, despite their years in the business, with only one of the nominated already having an Oscar to show for it. Nothing is certain until Sunday, February 26, live from Hollywood, but here are the predictions.

Demián Bichir for ‘A Better Life’

American audiences primarily know 48-year-old Demián Bichir from the TV series, Weeds, and as Fidel in Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Che’. However, Bichir is a huge name back in his native Mexico, part of a family of celebrated actors, and his presence on this year’s nomination list will be his first. In Chris Weitz’s A Better Life, he plays the gardener, Carlos, who has worked hard to make a life for himself and his estranged son in the States. When his truck is stolen, father and son, albeit virtually strangers, set out to recover it in hopes of a better life.

There were reports of confusion when Bichir’s name was read among the nominees as some believed the choice was made at the expense of the highly acclaimed ‘Shame’s Michael Fassbender. While Weitz’s film was celebrated, it was not widely watched. However, the nod to Bichir is the only one for the movie, and despite the initial surprise, or maybe because of it, it seems unlikely that he will take home the award.

George Clooney for ‘The Descendants’

Already a groomed candidate with seven nominations in his pocket and a win in the Supporting category for ‘Syriana’ in 2006, 50-year-old George Clooney has placed himself firmly in the front. Unlike Bichir, Clooney is ‘Hollywood royalty’, and the story goes that a bet was made between him and fellow Tinsel royal, Brad Pitt, that if one of them got the nomination this year, the other would perform a favor.

Clooney’s was to spend the day with Brad and his partner Angelina Jolie’s pack of kids – which he allegedly loathes. With that deal already sealed, the question is if ‘The George’ will up the ante by making an actor’s Oscar hat trick – winning both Leading and Supporting Actor; something only five other actors have done before him.

Is the part worth it? Many great things have been said about The Descendants, and it is no wonder; the adapted screenplay hit a chord with critics and movie-goers alike, and Clooney’s character, Matt King, is relatable as he struggles to keep the pieces of his reality together. Already winning the Golden Globes this year is a huge plus, which tempts us to believe that the night will be Clooney’s time to shine.

Jean Dujardin for ‘The Artist’

At the tender age of 39, Jean Dujardin is not well-known in the States. Dujardin is funnily enough referred to as the French George Clooney, and the liking is merited after an evening spent in the company of The Artist - the smile says it all!

The Artist, in itself, is an incredible achievement that has reaped rave reviews around the world, with the exception of some disgruntled movie goers on the British Isles, and much of the magic is thanks to Dujardin’s charming, yet heartbreaking performance as the silent movie star, George Valentin, who fades into obscurity as the ‘talkies’ take over.

Not only is his performance a delight, but an immense amount of respect and awe goes into the challenge of performing ‘old school’; the whole cast had to abandon their experience to embrace a performance style of the past. A dark horse in the race, but a secret favorite of this reporter. Will the French finally get a leading man on the podium?

Gary Oldman for ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’

While younger generations connect Gary Oldman with good and helpful franchise characters (Harry Potter, Nolan’s Batman), most of the mature viewers know that Oldman earned his badges as the ‘bad boy’ and other villainous characters. Evidently, the tide has turned for the 53-year-old native Englishman who embodied the anti-Bond character of George Smiley in the adapted espionage drama, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, to such taste that the Academy nod was inevitable.

Even though Oldman has been around for years and is the eldest of this year’s nominees, it is the first time he has been nominated for an Oscar. Sadly, the predictions are that the honorary inclusion in the ranks of the Academy is the only thing he will be getting next Sunday.

Brad Pitt for ‘Moneyball’

So far, Brad Pitt’s career at the Academy Awards has been scattered and less eventful than you would have thought, considering his status in Hollywood. When he made the bet with George Clooney, his odds were statistically lower – curiously amusing to consider now that Moneyball is the movie that got him the nomination.

The role of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics who takes a chance on a numbers game in order to win the League, is a powerful tale of grandeur against the odds. It has been awhile since baseball filled the main plot line of a big-name movie, and critics have applauded the production team for reigniting the on-screen excitement for the game.

Some hint that the fuss over ‘The George’ might blindside observers and allow the 48-year-old father-of-six to channel his character’s underdog qualities, but as it stands, Pitt will enjoy the show and settle for the party.

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Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Apparently many should be with this new adaptation.  But no fret this adaptation is not scary but visually intriguing. From the vivid mind of the Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke brings a new edgy turn to this 500 year old legend.  The adorable and amazingly talented Amanda Seyfried takes on the heroine role, Valerie, who is caught between the man she loves Peter, played by newcomer Shiloh Fernandez and wealthy Henry portrayed by newcomer and member of acting royalty Max Irons.

Basically, we are all familiar with the fairy tale about the girl who goes to visit her grandmother only to discover she has been eaten by an enormous, very scary wolf.  This adaptation is based loosely off the original folk tale and various other adaptations. But this film takes on more of a mystery spin and adds a bit of a ‘who done it’ to the story which actually makes it worth tuned.

Amanda Seyfried is by far a star on the rise and she gave her best damsel in distress performance in this film. But she also added strength and courage to the character, which was certainly needed. But this cast was not only filled with new comers but lots of well-known established actors. Gary Oldman, plays Father Soloman, a man brought to the town to get rid of the beast. The ultra-talented Julie Christie is in the film as well as Valerie’s grandmother and number one suspect of being the wolf. Virginia Madson plays Valerie’s worried mother while Twilight’s Billy Burke plays her always alcoholic father.

Also, Lucas Haas makes a cameo in the movie as well. We haven’t seen him in awhile and it makes you think that Hardwicke must be a good business woman is when she can get people who haven’t been seen in a long time to do her movie. That and Leonardo Dicaprio was one of the executive producers.

While the more prestigious actors bring the right amount of talent that is needed for a film like this, the younger actors for sure brought their own to the table. Fernandez, who weirdly enough was considered for the role as Edward in the Twilight films brings more than just his dashing good looks. His charm and leading man qualities shows that he is ready to do whatever comes his way. Irons, son of Jeremy, does a fine job as well playing the man who wishes he could have the girl. We can certainly see where he gets his talent from, we only hope that we can see more of his work in America.

The look of the film is absolutely beautiful. The scenic design and the costumes made it fill like they were really living in a medieval village. But, what was good about this story is that it was not looked at as the typical fairy tale. It has a rawness and edge that really makes it stand out but, with a director like Catherine Hardwicke that what you get.

It is a coming of age story but in a good way, not like an episode of Dawson’s Creek. Before you see this movie remember to forget everything you know about Little Red Riding Hood and be ready to see a more grown-up adaption with beautiful boys, much romance and of course a CGI wolf.

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