"Inception" alumni reunite for "The Dark Knight Rises"

CEBU, Philippines - One good turn deserves another.

After starring in Christopher Nolan’s thought-provoking 2010 thriller “Inception,” Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt now join the director’s final Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Cotillard and Gordon-Levitt were both excited to reunite with Nolan on the finale of his Dark Knight trilogy. Gordon-Levitt says, “Amidst all the spectacle, I think the honest human dramas are what distinguish the way Chris approaches these movies. For an actor, that’s inspiring and a lot more fun.”

“I love working with Chris,” adds Cotillard. “He fosters a great feeling of family on the set, even on such a huge movie. And he has the intelligence and imagination to take you on an unbelievable adventure and make it something you believe. It was especially interesting to work with him to create the character of Miranda because she doesn’t exist in the comics.”

Gordon-Levitt stars as policeman John Blake, whose devotion to the job impresses his boss, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman). Producer Emma Thomas says, “Gordon definitely sees something of himself as a young cop in John Blake. Everyone else seems to have lost focus because things have been so good, but Blake is the first to realize that something’s up, and Gordon recognizes those instincts by promoting him and putting him on his team.”

Describing his role, Joseph Gordon-Levitt says, “John Blake is the kind of guy who probably always wanted to be a cop and dedicates himself to being excellent at his job. He is someone who believes in what he does and I admire that in anybody. In the midst of a lot of cynicism, he remains proud to be a police officer.”

The image of co-star Christian Bale in the Batsuit had the requisite effect on Gordon-Levitt. “When Christian put on that suit, I didn’t have to make believe: I was talking to Batman,” the actor says. “It doesn’t happen very often, but every now and then when I’m shooting a movie, I have a moment when it feels like real life. That was definitely one of the strongest of those moments I’ve ever had.”

Meanwhile, Cotillard’s character, Miranda Tate, can relate to Bruce Wayne, albeit from a place of affluence. Cotillard notes, “They both have a lot of money and are trying to use it in a good way, so they understand each other right away.”

Bale agrees. “Miranda is somebody who is encouraging Bruce to use his resources for the betterment of Gotham through an environmental project. She is beautiful, smart and altruistic, and all the good that she aspires to earn his respect and also intrigues him a great deal.”

A member of the board of Wayne Enterprises, Miranda’s affluence makes her a vital ally to Bruce when the company becomes the target of a hostile takeover. On a more personal level, Nolan says, “She is looked at by Alfred and Lucius as a woman who could perhaps bring Bruce out of his own exile and remind him that there is more to life than sitting alone in the Batcave. Marion has an incredibly appealing presence with an exotic glamour. She brought a combination of warmth and wisdom to Miranda that provides a great sense of hope for Bruce.”

Now open across the Philippines in IMAX, 2D and regular theaters, “The Dark Knight Rises” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. (FREEMAN)