The Dark Knight Rises Goes Deeper Into Inception Cast

Well we know that Christopher Nolan likes to work with cast members from his previous films, but this is getting kind of ridiculous. On top of the confirmation of Tom Hardy (possibly as Bane) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's additions to the cast of the third instalment of Nolan's Batman trilogy, French newspaper Le Figaro reports that Marion Cotillard will be joining them from last summer's blockbuster Inception. They haven't stated any sources and so this looks to remain rumour for the time being.

Anne Hathaway has also been confirmed to be on the casting, so it's unclear what kind of role either of them would play. Hathaway so far has been rumoured to be taking on the role of anti-hero and potential Wayne love interest Catwoman. It's likely that Nolan will want to minimise the introduction of too many new character threads, and so currently the buzz around is that of family links for the new characters back to the previous films of the trilogy. It's been rumoured that Gordon-Levitt will play Alberto Falcone, the son of mob boss Carmine Falcone who figured heavily in Batman Begins. It might follow then that Cotillard will play Talia Al Ghul, the daughter of Begins villain Ra's Al Ghul (Liam Neeson). In the comics, Talia and Batman have an on-off relationship and a child together. With the death of Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight, a love triangle between Batman, Catwoman and Talia could be an interesting plot point.

Of course the Batman rumour trail has taken many twists already and it would be surprising if it didn't throw up anymore new developments before it starts production over the summer. What is for sure is this is going to be an epic-length picture and with Nolan at the helm, it'll have plenty of interesting and intertwining character arcs. As a huge fan of what Nolan's done to the franchise so far, I'm looking forward to seeing where he's going with the final chapter (?) in the story.

The King's Speech Wins 7 in Bafta Sweep

Perhaps unsurprisingly, The King's Speech dominated at last night's Bafta ceremony, taking seven of the fourteen awards for which it was nominated. Among the awards given to the film were Supporting Actor and Actress nods to Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter respectively, Original Score, Original Screenplay for David Seidler's script and Outstanding British Film. As expected, Colin Firth picked up his second consecutive Leading Actor award for his portrayal of King George VI, battling with his speech impediment. Most importantly though, the movie received the top award for Best Film, putting it ahead of rival The Social Network as the favourite to win the big award in a fortnight's time at the Oscars.

NotYetRated Best of 2010 Awards

Now that the Baftas are out of the way, we can finally move on to the awards that really matter.  That's right, it's time for the NotYetRated Best of 2010 Awards - the most prestigious and respected film awards around, in this solitary corner of the Internet. The four members of the NYR team sat around for hours, perilously debating, arguing and defending our favourite films, occasionally coming to blows, bargaining and death threats, until finally arriving at this definitive list. Each of the following categories have three runners-up and a winner (five runners-up for Best Film).

Best of 2010: Actor in a Leading Role

Baftas 2011 Predictions

So in about three hours the awards season will step up a notch as we reach the Baftas, Britain's flagship film awards ceremony and the final send-off for the hopeful movies before the ones that everyone wants, the Oscars. Who wins tonight will give us the biggest clue as to who'll be taking home the golden statues in a fortnight's time. The Baftas are usually, but not always, synchronous with the Academy Awards; like last year when Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker beat out her ex-husband James Cameron's Avatar for Best Picture in London, and subsequently went on to repeat the feat in Los Angeles two weeks later.

So here are our picks for who'll be receiving plaudits tonight in the shape of a golden mask, and who we think deserve the awards.

Cool Art Posters for Oscar Nominees

Check out these cool new posters that illustrator Dean Walton, aka Mr. Shabba, has knocked up for five of this year's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards, The Social Network, Black Swan, True Grit, The Fighter and The King's Speech.  It's amazing how he's managed to capture so much of the character of the films in such minimalist paintings.  Check them out at the gallery over at SlashFilm here.

The Social Network Wins Big at London Critics' Awards

Increasing the interest around tomorrow's Bafta Awards and the building Oscar race, The Social Network won in four major categories at the 31st London Critics’ Circle Film Awards on Thursday night. The film about Facebook's creation took Film of the Year, while Aaron Sorkin was awarded for his excellent script with Screenwriter of the Year. Emerging young actor Andrew Garfield received Best British Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Zuckerberg's best friend Eduardo Saverin, and director David Fincher picked up Director of the Year.

The Social Network's biggest rival for the Oscars, The King's Speech, also received plaudits, as the race for the gold statues intensifies. It took the Attenborough Award for British Film of the Year, while Colin Firth received Actor of the Year for his performance as the stuttering King George VI and director Tom Hooper was awarded with British Director of the Year. The symmetry in the awards gives no clue as to who will take Best Director and Picture at the Oscars, the two awards that seem destined to go to one of these two films.

Other winners included Christian Bale for British Actor of the Year, now looking likely to add a Bafta tomorrow night to his growing trophy cabinet following his outstanding performance in The Fighter, and Gareth Edwards as Breakthrough British Film-maker for his film Monsters.