The nominees are: Darren Aronofsky for “Black Swan,” David Fincher for “The Social Network,” Tom Hooper for “The King’s Speech,” Christopher Nolan for “Inception,” and David O. Russell for “The Fighter.” Among the directors excluded who made films a lot of people are pulling for are two women: Lisa Cholodenko of “The Kids Are All Right” and Debra Ganik of “Winter’s Bone.” As Anne Thompson points out, the Guild has been slightly more open to nominating women than the Academy in the past. On the other hand, after last year’s big win for Kathryn Bigelow, it’s possible some of the pressure is off, or not.

Though it’s not as earth shaking, we movie fans like our movie special effects and the Visual Effects Society has made their nominations. No big surprises here either as the nominees for the movie with best effects are “Inception,” “Iron Man 2 ,” “Tron: Legacy,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.” I think it’s fair to say that visually stunning “Inception” should have the lead here, but we’ll see. In animation the nominees are: “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Toy Story 3,” “Tangled,” “Shrek Forever After,” and “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.”

The complete lists of award nominations, including a huge list from the VSA, are after the jump.

Directors Guild Award Nominees

DARREN ARONOFSKY
Black Swan
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Mr. Aronofsky’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Jennifer Roth
· First Assistant Director: Joseph Reidy
· Second Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
· Second Second Assistant Director: Travis Rehwaldt
· Location Manager: Ronnie Kupferwasser
This is Mr. Aronofsky’s first DGA Feature Film Award Nomination.

DAVID FINCHER
The Social Network
(Columbia Pictures)
Mr. Fincher’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: JoAnn Perritano
· First Assistant Director: Bob Wagner
· Second Assistant Director: Allen Kupetsky
· Second Second Assistant Director: Maileen Williams
This is Mr. Fincher’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He was previously nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008. He previously won the DGA Commercial Award for Speed Chain (Nike), Gamebreakers (Nikegridiron.com), and Beauty for Sale (Xelibri Phones) in 2003 and was nominated in that category again in 2008.

TOM HOOPER
The King’s Speech
(The Weinstein Co.)
Mr. Hooper’s Directorial Team:
· Production Manager: Erica Bensly
· First Assistant Director: Martin Harrison
· Second Assistant Director: Chris Stoaling
This is Mr. Hooper’s first DGA Feature Film Award Nomination. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Movies for Television/Miniseries for John Adams in 2008.

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Inception
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mr. Nolan’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Jan Foster
· First Assistant Director: Nilo Otero
· Second Assistant Director: Brandon Lambdin
· Second Second Assistant Director: Greg Pawlik
· Additional Second Assistant Director: Lauren Pasternack
This is Mr. Nolan’s third DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He was previously nominated for The Dark Knight in 2008 and for Memento in 2001.

DAVID O. RUSSELL
The Fighter
(Paramount Pictures and The Weinstein Co.)
Mr. Russell’s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Manager: Mark Kamine
· First Assistant Director: Michele Ziegler
· Second Assistant Director: Xanthus Valan
· Second Second Assistant Director: Timothy Blockburger
This is Mr. Russell’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.

Visual Effects Society Award Nominations

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual-Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture

Inception
Paul Franklin
Visual Effects Supervisor
Chris Corbould
Special Effects Supervisor
Mike Chambers
Visual Effects Producer
Matthew Plummer
Visual Effects Producer

Iron Man 2
Ben Snow
VFX Supervisor
Ged Wright
VFX Supervisor
Janek Sirrs
VFX Supervisor
Susan Pickett
VFX Producer

TRON: Legacy
Eric Barba
Visual Effects Supervisor
Lisa Beroud
Visual Effects Producer
Steve Preeg
Animation Director
Karl Denham
Sequence Supervisor

Alice In Wonderland
Ken Ralston
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
Tom Peitzman
Visual Effects Producer
David Schaub
Animation Supervisor
Carey Villegas
Visual Effects Supervisor

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Tim Burke
Overall VFX Supervisor
Emma Norton
Visual Effects Producer
John Richardson
Special Effects Supervisor

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture

Green Zone
Peter Chiang
Visual Effects Supervisor
Charlie Noble
Visual Effects Supervisor
Joss Williams
Special Effects Supervisor
Matthew Plummer
Visual Effects Producer

SALT
Robert Grasmere
Visual Effects Supervisor
Camille Cellucci
Visual Effects Producer
Mark Breakspear
Visual Effects Supervisor
Ivan Moran
Visual Effects Supervisor

Hereafter
Michael Owens
VFX Supervisor
Joel Mendias
Executive Producer
Bryan Grill
VFX Supervisor
Danielle Plantec
CG Supervisor

Black Swan
Dan Schrecker
Visual Effects Supervisor
Colleen Bachman
Visual Effects Producer
Michael Capton
3D Supervisor
Brad Kalinoski
Compositing Supervisor

Robin Hood
Richard Stammers
Overall VFX Supervisor
Allen Maris
VFX Producer
Jessica Norman
Digital Effects Supervisor
Max Wood
CG Supervisor

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Tangled
Clay Kaytis
Supervising Animator
John Kahrs
Supervising Animator
Glen Keane
Supervising Animator
Roy Conli
Producer

How to Train Your Dragon
Simon Otto
Head of Character Animation
Craig Ring
Visual Effects Supervisor
Bonnie Arnold
Produced By

Toy Story 3
Lee Unkrich
Director
Darla K. Anderson
Producer
Guido Quaroni
Supervising Technical Director
Michael Fong
Simulation & Effects Supervisor

Shrek Forever After
Jason Reisig
Head of Character Animation
Doug Cooper
VFX Supervisor
Gina Shay
Produced By
Teresa Cheng
Produced By

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Zareh Naibandian
Producer
Simon Whiteley
Production Designer
Eric Leighton
Animation Director
Alex Weight
Animation Supervisor

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or a Special

Last Day of the Dinosaurs
Arnaud Brisebois
Artistic Director
Louis Desrochers
VFX Artist
Alain Lachance
Visual Effects Producer
Marc-Antoine Rousseau
Visual Effects Supervisor

Inside The Perfect Predator
Philip Dobree
VFX Supervisor/VFX Producer
Richard Costin
Animation TD
Sam Meisels
Compositor

The Pacific
John Sullivan
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
David Taritero
VFX Producer
William Mesa
Visual Effects Supervisor
Marco Requay
Digital Visual Effects Supervisor

Prep and Landing: Operation Secret Santa
Dorothy McKim
Producer
Kyle Odermatt
VFX Supervisor
Andy Harkness
Art Director
Adolph Lusinsky
Look and Lighting Director

America – Story of US
Philip Dobree
VFX Supervisor/VFX Producer
Emile Hardy
DMP
Sam Howell
Lead Animator

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series

Caprica
Michael Gibson
VFX Producer
Gary Hutzel
VFX Supervisor
Davey Morton
VFX Artist
Jesse Toves
CGI Artist

No Ordinary Family
Andrew Orloff
VFX Supervisor
Curt Miller
VFX Supervisor
Paul Linden
VFX Supervisor
Scott Tinter
VFX Producer

V
Andrew Orloff
VFX Supervisor
Nathan Overstrom
2D Supervisor
Karen Czukerberg
VFX Producer
Roberto Biagi
VFX Supervisor

The Event
Victor Scalise
Visual Effects Supervisor
Jason Spratt
Visual Effects Producer
Diego Galtieri
Compositor
Mike Enriquez
Lead 3D Artist

Stargate: Universe
Mark Savela
VFX Supervisor
James Rorick
VFX Producer
Craig Vanden Biggelaar
Digital Effects Supervisor
Adam de Bosch Kemper
Lead Animator

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program

The Walking Dead
Sam Nicholson
Visual Effects Supervisor
Jason Sperling
Visual Effects Supervisor
Kent Johnson
Visual Effects Producer
Chris Martin
Compositing Supervisor

Human Target
Andrew Orloff
VFX Supervisor
Raoul Bolognini
VFX Producer
Nathan Overstrom
2D Supervisor
Jason Monroe
Lead Modeler

Undercovers
Jay Worth
VFX Producer / Supervisor
Andrew Waisler
VFX Supervisor
Ron Thornton
VFX Supervisor
Andrew Kramer
Digital Artist

Boardwalk Empire
Robert Stromberg
VFX Supervisor
Dave Taritero
VFX Producer
Richard Friedlander
VFX Producer
Paul Graff
VFX Supervisor

Lost
Adam Avitabile
Visual Effects Supervisor
Melinka Thompson-Godoy
Visual Effects Producer
Michael Capton
3D Supervisor
Brad Kalinoski
Compositing Supervisor

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short

Looney Tunes – Coyote Falls
Bryan Engram
Animation Supervisor
Greg Lyons
Producer
Josh Carey
Rigging Supervisor
Harry Michalakeas
Technical Supervisor

Day & Night
Teddy Newton
Director
Kevin Reher
Producer
Michael Fu
Supervising Technical Director
Tom Gately
Supervising Animator

Paths of Hate
Tomasz Baginski
Animation Producer
Jaroslaw Sawko
Animation Producer
Damian Nenow
VFX Supervisor
Marta Staniszewska
Production Manager

Tick Tock Tale
Dorothy McKim
Producer
John Murrah
VFX Supervisor
Adolph Lusinsky
Look and Lighting Director
Wayne Unten
Animator

Cat Shit One – The Animated Series
Kazuya Sasahara
Director
Junya Okabe
Producer
Tomohisa Ishikawa
Art Director
Yoshiyuki Okada
Concept Artist

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Live Action Commercial

Wrigley’s 5 Gum – React
Robert Sethi
VFX Supervisor
Chris Knight
VFX Supervisor
Arielle Davis
VFX Producer
Gawain Liddiard
3D Lead Artist

DirecTV “Ice Cream”
Franck Lambertz
VFX Supervisor
Andrew Bell
VFX Producer/Head of Production
Mike Wynd
VFX Supervisor
Ross Denner
3 D Animator

Barclaycard Rollercoaster
Angus Kneale
Executive Creative Director/Shoot Supervisor
Ben Smith
Creative Director/Shoot Supervisor
Dan Williams
Lead Flame Artist
Ruben Vanderbroek
CG Artist

Halo: Reach
Dan Glass
Senior VFX Supervisor
Dan Seddon
CG Supervisor
Matt Dessero
DFX Supervisor
Stephanie Gilgar
VFX Producer

Verizon – Towers
Robert Sethi
VFX Supervisor
Arielle Davis
VFX Producer
Chris Knight
Shoot Supervisor/2D Lead Artist
Andre Desouza
3D Artist

Outstanding Animated Commercial

World of Warcraft
Marc Messenger
VFX Supervisor
Phillip Hillenbrand, Jr.
VFX Producer
Michael Kelleher
FX Supervisor
Brian LaFrance
Matte Painting Supervisor

Dante’s Inferno: Hell Awaits
Tim Miller
Director
Kevin Margo
CG Supervisor
Lindsey Zamplas
Producer
Kirby Miller
VFX Supervisor

Target “A Better Bullseye”
Chris Riehl
Animation Director
Javier Jimenez
Executive Producer
Daniel Zobrist
CG/Animation Supervisor
Charles Paek
CG/Lighting Supervisor

Andrex
Abby Orchard
VFX Producer
Antoine Moulineau
CGI Supervisor
Mike Mellor
Animation Supervisor
Russell Dodgson
VFX Supervisor

Cadbury’s Spots V Stripes
Jake Mengers
Creative VFX Director
Julie Evans
VFX Producer
Jorge Montiel Meurer
Lead Animator
Michael Gregory
2D Supervisor

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project

City of Ruins
Marcin Kobylecki
VFX Producer
Piotr Sliwowski
VFX Producer
Michal Gryn
VFX Supervisor
Damian Nenow
VFX Supervisor

King Kong 360 3D
Matt Aitken
VFX Supervisor
Kevin Sherwood
VFX Producer
Eric Reynolds
Animation Supervisor
R. Christopher White
CG Supervisor

Flight of the Dragon
Brent Young
Overall VFX Supervisor
Dina Benadon
Overall VFX Producer
Charlotte Huggins
Overall Project Producer
Michael “Oz” Smith
Technical Director

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Richard Mann
VFX Producer
Adam Howard
Visual Effects Supervisor
Matt Hendershot
CG Supervisor
James Strauss
Animation Supervisor

Outstanding Real-Time Visual Effects in a Video Game

StarCraft II
Scott Goffman
VFX Supervisor
Phillip Hillenbrand, Jr.
VFX Producer
Nick Carpenter
Executive Art Director
James McCoy
Animation Director

Need for Speed
Henry LaBounta
Senior Art Director
Fiona Sperry
VP, GM
Johannes Soderqvist
Art Director
Alex Fry
Software Engineer

Halo: Reach
Marcus Lehto
Creative Director
Joseph Tung
Executive Producer
Stephen Scott
Senior FX Lead
CJ Cowan
Cinematics Director

Kinectimals
Jorg Neumann
Executive Producer
Brian Moore
Art Director
John Laws
Art Director
Jonny Watts
Game Design Director

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Video Game Trailer

World of Warcraft
Marc Messenger
VFX Supervisor
Phillip Hillenbrand, Jr.
VFX Producer

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Dave Wilson
Director
Corey Butler
CG Supervisor
Keith Luczywo
Producer
Seung Jae Lee
VFX Supervisor

Star Wars: The Old Republic 2
Tim Miller
Director
Dave Wilson
Director
Lindsey Zamplas
Producer
Brandon Riza
VFX Supervisor

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Kazuyuki Ikumori
VFX Producer
Mitsuharu Fukai
VFX Supervisor
Kody Sabourin
VFX Director
Jonathan Jacques-Belletete
Art Director

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader – Reepicheep
Gabriele Zucchelli
Animation Supervisor
Catherine Mullan
Lead Animator
Benoit Dubuc
Lead Animator
Peta Bayley
Lead Animator

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 – Dobby
Mathieu Vig
Animator
Ben Lambert
Modeller
Laurie Brugger
Character Supervisor
Marine Poirson
Look Development TD

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore – Kitty Galore
William Groebe
Animation Supervisor
Brian Mendenhall
Animation Lead
Aharon Bourland
Computer Graphics Supervisor
Steve Reding
Lighting Supervisor

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 – Kreacher
Laurent Laban
Animator
Will Brand
Modeller
Matthieu Goutte
Rigger
Jason Baker
Look Development TD

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole – Digger
Josh Murtack
Rigging Supervisor
James Cunliffe
Lead Animator
Jessica Groom
Character Surfacer
Andrew Hunt
Lead Animator

How to Train Your Dragon – Toothless
Gabe Hordos
Supervising Animator
Cassidy Curtis
Supervising Animator
Mariette Marinus
Character Technical Director
Brent Watkins
Character Technical Director

Tangled – Rapunzel
Tony Smeed
Supervising Animator
Amy Smeed
Animator
Becky Bresee
Animator
Kira Lehtomaki
Animator

Megamind – Minion
David Cross
Minion
Rani Naamani
Animator
Dick Walsh
Character Technical Director
Adrian Tsang
Character Technical Director

Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

Citron C3 The Spacebox – Citro
Michael Nauzin
CG Supervisor
Anne Chatelain
CG Animator
Gregory Mougne
CG Animator
Cedric Nicolas
CG Animator

Cadbury – Freida Steer
Raphael Pimentel
Animation Supervisor
Thana Siripopungul
Rigging Supervisor

Prep and Landing: Operation Secret Santa – Lanny
Tony Smeed
Supervising Animator
Chad Sellers
Animator
Patrick Osborne
Animator
John Wong
Animator

Logitech – Robot
Rob Ramsdell
Lead Artist/Puppeteer
Darnell Isom
Lead Art Designer/Puppeteer
James Springham
Lead Model Maker
Shelly Dutcher
Lead Flame Artist

Outstanding Animated Character in a Video Game

Halo: Reach – Kat
Lee R. Wilson
Story and Cinematic Lead
Jason Robertson
Senior Animator
David Hunt
Senior Technical Artist
Joe Spataro
Technical Designer in Animation

Kinectimals – Cub
Joel Mongeon
Senior Artist
Kenneth Lammers
Technical Art Director
Felix Ilsley
Lead Animator
Andrew Matthews
Lead Character Artist

StarCraft II – Sarah Kerrigan
Jeffrey W. Chamberlain
VFX Supervisor
Angela Blake
VFX Producer
Nick Carpenter
Executive Art Director

Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture

Shrek Forever After
Jeff Budsberg
Effects Lead
Andrew Kim
Effects Lead
Yancy Lindquist
Effects Animator
Can Yuksel
Effects Animator

How to Train Your Dragon
Andy Hayes
Effects Animator
Laurent Kermel
Effects Animator
Jason Mayer
Effects Animator
Brett Miller
Effects Animator

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Sebastien Quessy
FX Lead
Kevin Blom
FX Artist
Jerome Escobar
FX Artist

Toy Story 3
Jason Johnston
Effects Artist
Eric Froemling
Effects Artist
David Ryu
Effects Artist
JD Northrup
Effects Artist

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Iron Man 2 – Stark Expo
Giles Hancock
Digimatte Supervisor
Richard Bluff
Digimatte Artist
Todd Vaziri
Digital Artist
Aaron McBride
VFX Art Director

TRON: Legacy – Disc Game
Jonathan Litt
Lighting Supervisor
Juan S. Gomez
Lighting Lead
Kevin Sears
Environment Lead
Sonja Burchard
Compositing Supervisor

Inception – Paris Dreamscape
Bruno Baron
Lighting Supervisor
Dan Neal
CG Supervisor
Graham Page
Compositing Sequence Supervisor
Per Mork-Jensen
Compositor

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – Sand Room
Alex Rothwell
Lead Effects Artist
Chris Zeh
Compositing Supervisor
Laurent Hugueniot
CG Supervisor
Kevin Jenkins
Visual Effects Art Director

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program

Boardwalk Empire – Boardwalk
Robert Stromberg
CG Supervisor
Brian Sales
Lead Compositor
Paul Graff
VFX Supervisor
Brian Pace
Digital Modeler

The Event – To Keep Us Safe
Michael Cook
Lead 3D Artist
Jon Rosenthal
3D Artist
Ragui Hanna
2D Artist
Ryan Wieber
2D Artist

The Pacific – The Battle of Iwo Jima
Marco Recuay
VFX Supervisor/Lead Artist
Morgan McDermott
CG Supervisor
NIck Lund-Ulrich
Compositing Supervisor

Boardwalk Empire – Family Limitation
J. John Corbett
Compositing Supervisor
Matthew Conner
Digital Artist & Compositor
Brendan Fitzgerald
Senior 3D Artist
Jun Zhang
Lead Compositor
Outstanding Models & Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture
Shutter Island – Ward-C Int./Ext. Lighthouse Int./Ext.
Matthew Gratzner
VFX Supervisor
Scott Schneider
Model Crew Chief
Adam Gelbart
Model Maker
Richard A.F. Ewan
Model Painter

Iron Man 2 – Hammer Military Drones
Bruce Holcomb
Digital Model Supervisor
Ron Woodall
View Paint Supervisor
John Goodson
Modeler
John Walker
CG Supervisor

The Expendables – The Palace Explodes
Gene Warren Jr.
Owner
Christopher Lee Warren
Director of Photography
Gene Warren III
Visual Effects Supervisor

Inception – Hospital Fortress Destruction
Ian Hunter
VFX Supervisor
Scott Beverly
Mechanical FX Supervisor
Forest Fischer
Model Crew Chief
Robert Spurlock
Special FX Supervisor

Outstanding Models & Miniatures in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

Family Guy – Brian Griffin’s House of Payne
Andrew Karr
3D Artist
Alec McClymont
CG Supervisor
Daniel Osaki
Lead 3D Modeler
Paul Hegg
CG Artist

Boardwalk Empire – The Ivory Tower
J. John Corbett
Compositing Supervisor
Matthew Conner
Digital Artist & Compositor
Brendan Fitzgerald
Senior 3D Artist

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture

TRON: Legacy
Kym Olsen
Look Development Compositing Lead
Paul Lambert
Compositing Supervisor
Sarahjane Javelo Chase
Rotoscope & Paint Lead
Sonja Burchard
Compositing Supervisor

Alice In Wonderland – Stolen Tarts
Lisa Deaner
Precomp
Orde Stevanoski
Compositor
Aaron Kupferman
Lighting/comp
Ruben Flores
Lighting/comp

Inception
Astrid Busser-Casas
Compositing Sequence Supervisor
Scott Pritchard
Compositing Sequence Supervisor
Jan Maroske
Compositing Sequence Supervisor
George Zwier
Compositing Sequence Supervisor

Hereafter – Tsunami Sequence
Joseph Farrell
Compositing Supervisor
Nick Crew
Lead Visual Effects Artist
Jamie Hallett
Compositor
Christine Lo
Compositor
Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

Drench Cubehead
Matthew Unwin
VFX Supervisor
Lisa Ryan
Compositor
Michael Gregory
2D Supervisor

Boardwalk Empire – Episode 1
Paul Graff
VFX Supervisor
Brian Sales
Lead Compositor
Jesse Siglow
Compositor
Merysa Nichols
Compositor

Travelers “Watering Hole”
Franck Lambertz
VFX Supervisor/Compositing Lead
Ryan Knowles
2D Artist

The Pacific – Peleliu landing
Jeremy Nelson
Lead Compositor
John Mesa
Compositor/Supervisor
Dan Novy
Animator/Compositor
Tyler Cote
Compositor
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project

LOOM
Regina Welker
Student

Time For Change
Rupert Ashton
3D Artist
Priyan Jayamaha
3D Artist
Junying Xu
3D Artist
Kirsten Dale Pretorious
Key Nuke Compositor

Das Tub
Rupert Ashton
3D Artist
Priyan Jayamaha
3D Artist
Junying Xu
3D Artist
Kirsten Dale Pretorious
Key Nuke Compositor

Nuisible(s)
Erick Hupin
Realisation
Baptiste Ode
Realisation
Philippe Puech
Realisation
Pierre Nahoum
Realisation

On the heels of its boffo $125 million opening weekend, Warner Brothers’ “Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows: Part One” would have to drop by what I’d think is an unprecedented percentage in its second weekend to get anywhere even close to the $40 million or so jolly Carl DiOrio expects for this week’s new CGI animated comedy based on the fairly tale “Rapunzel,” “Tangled.” The film, which Disney has seemed slightly nervous about, marks the final bow for the Disney princess brand and fairy tale adaptations for some time, we’re told, and the studio has been trying hard to sell it to males.

Though I might personally prefer my princesses 2D and traditionally animated, the tale has enraptured most critics and our David Medsker is rather sweet on it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it over perform — not because the people listen to critics but because the critics are (mostly) people. Maybe it’s a bit early to retire the whole fairy tale princesses thing.

Also looking strong and with definite female appeal — though plenty of PG-13 level under-clothed attractive women are on offer for ogling males — is the apparently deliberately hoaky musical, “Burlesque.” Though the film is getting some guilty pleasure semi-love from Jason Zingale, it’s not getting the guilt-ridden love of critics over all, not that it will matter for a movie, fans of Cher and Christina Aguilera and glitz will show. Fans of rom-coms, however might not show as  much for Edward Zwick’s attempt at something a bit more biting than the usual in the genre, Fox’s “Love and Other Drugs.” Any Oscar hopes for the Jake Gyllenhaal/Anne Hathaway pairer seem beyond remote in the face of unimpressive reviews. and I suspect this is the kind of movie that actually needs to be good to do terribly well. Still, the considerable charisma of its two stars and the lack of adult-skewing date-type movies might help it achieve its rather modest expectations.

Bringing up the possible rear, or maybe not, is the relatively lowish budget actioner starring Dwayne Johnson, “Faster.” Though I enjoyed interviewing director George Tillman, Jr., the movie has received little critical applause, not that it particularly needs it. It’s possible, however, that considering the lack of action-fare right now, males might want to smell what Tilman, the ex-Rock, and a strong supporting cast are cooking. I’m sure CBS Films would find that delicious.

Like so many first-class English actors of her generation, Miranda Richardson is known for her ability to play all ends of the dramatic spectrum. In England, and certain geekier quarters of the U.S., she’s still extremely well known known for her work alongside Rowan Atkinson and Stephen Fry as “Queenie” (i.e. Queen Elizabeth I) and assorted other characters on Richard Curtis and Ben Elton’s historical cult-com, “Black Adder.” Younger geeks, however, might know her better as magical tabloid journalist Rita Skeeter in the Harry Potter films. On the more realistic end of the spectrum, she has also done magnificent work playing a ruthless IRA operative in “The Crying Game,” a maltreated housewife in an Oscar-nominated role in Louis Malle’s “Damage,” a widely praised turn in the Oscar-winning “The Hours,” and a widow investigating her husband’s death on AMC’s recently canceled suspense drama, “Rubicon.” On the other hand, she’s also portrayed the character of Mrs. Santa Claus opposite Paul Giamatti‘s Santa in “Fred Claus.” Despite some resemblance, both physically and in terms of talent, she is not part of the famed Redgrave acting dynasty and no relation to the late Natasha Richardson. She is, in fact, the only actor in her family, which perhaps makes her all the more impressive.

Although Sally Hawkins has appeared in some 34 movie and TV productions since 1999, she broke into the consciousness of most of her fans with her Golden Globe winning performance in Mike Leigh’s 2008 “Happy-Go-Lucky,” in which she dominated the film as a relentlessly happy and, strangely enough, rather bright, elementary school teacher. It was probably an ideal role for a woman who really does come across as cheerful in person, with an approachable demeanor that certainly seems to fit the child of two children’s books authors. Currently starring on Broadway in a new production of George Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs. Warren’s Profession,” Hawkins has continued to mix starring roles with a number of smaller supporting appearances, including a turn in Cary Fukunaga’s highly-anticipated new version of “Jane Eyre.” Her next leading role is as Irish radical politician and activist Bernadette Devlin in “The Roaring Girl” — assuming the real Devlin is not successful in her efforts to prevent the film from being made.

After some very brief talk about Sally Hawkins recently healed broken collar bone, a film set injury, the first question was about how the two actresses researched their roles. Hawkins plays Rita O’Grady, a Ford seamstress who is selected by her shop steward (Bob Hoskins) to spearhead a job action which eventually leads to Great Britain’s first law requiring equal pay for equal work. While Hawkins’ character is a fictional creation, inspired by a number of real women, Richardson plays real-life English Labour Party legend Barbara Castle. The first woman to sit on the English cabinet became a major player in the long and contentious strike.

“I did meet three of the women, very early on in my preparation period,” Sally Hawkins said. “I went on a couple of trips to Dagenham to, first of all, see the factory. It’s still there, this monolith, this old skeleton. It was quite sad because that’s what Dagenham is built around. In recent history, when it closed down, it had a not good effect on the community there. They are just very normal women who all still live in Dagenham and are still friends. Very funny, bright women who went back to their lives. Rita was one of many and it was important to get that sort of voice right, that they weren’t political animals. They didn’t have any experience in being on a political stage or holding their own amongst the men, the management in the trade union. They were sort of learning on the hop, as it were.”

“Real-life character, so: duty, responsibility. I was aware that [Barbara Castle] meant so much to many people,” Miranda Richardson said. “You just have to get on with it. I read a biography, looked at photographs, newsreel footage. I worked with the wonderful Penny Dyer, a dialect coach, to try and just ground her speech rhythms. Of course, hair and make-up and costume is all part of that deal. She had a very particular look. You have to honor that and make it work for you. So, that was it, really. In the silence of reading about her, and looking at photographs, staring at them, trying to make them sink in, I just thought she was the most wonderful woman. I would have liked to have met her and gone out on the town with her. I think she would have been enormous fun.”

“Unlike these ladies, she was politicized from a very early age,” Richardson continued. “Debate was encouraged ’round the dinner table. She went with her father to rallies and she understood where people were coming from, and what they wanted and how they expressed themselves. She was a passionate, humane woman who brung herself up, as they say, out of her class, [who] achieved above and beyond what was expected. [Castle] never lost touch with her roots and was a force of nature as far as I’m concerned. She’s fantastic. She was somebody who could drink and smoke and hang out and debate. She just wanted to engage and expected people to engage with her.”

“Thank God she was around,” added Sally Hawkins.

“Thank God she was around,” agreed Miranda Richardson. “She loved women and men equally, it seems to me.”

“You got that?” Sally Hawkins asked. The question was left hanging as another query was posed about what it was like being on the set with the female-dominated cast assembled by director Nigel Cole, whose best known prior film is the similarly female-centric comedy, 2003’s “Calendar Girls” with Helen Mirren.

“Lovely, lovely atmosphere” said Richardson.

“Yeah, it was,” Hawkins agreed.

“Quite a few women on the crew as well,” Richardson continued. “Which makes my heart leap when you see women doing jobs which have been heretofore mostly the guys, and there’s no reason why they don’t do them. It’s just they’re letting more women do those jobs and more women want to take those jobs in the industry.”

Hawkins expanded. “I did sort of stop and think, ‘Isn’t it wonderful that there are all these incredible female [actors].’ It’s a female-led production, and it’s so rare. There was so much passion behind it and I was so incredibly proud to be a part of that. Like Miranda said, for a long time it has been a male-dominated industry, but I think it is changing and we have got a long way to go. I think that’s probably the case in many industries. We all have experience of that.”

What about working directly with Nigel Cole?

“He truly is a feminist,” said Hawkins.

“He’s very cuddly,” Richardson elaborated. “He’s very cozy. It’s not difficult to be on set with him. He’s not deeply frightening. He really isn’t.”

“He cares,” Hawkins said.

Richardson made a pantomime hugging gesture. “I think of him as doing that. He does that on set.”

“He’s got very long arms, he embraces you.” Hawkins said.

The next question included some news for those of us who might have assumed that equal-pay-for-equal-work is a 40-years settled issue. It might be agreed upon in theory, but in reality there are significant disparities overall that are higher in certain industries. Did Hawkins and Richardson expect the film to help reopen the issue?

“That would be phenomenal. That would be great,” Hawkins said. “We can always learn from history, whether it’s recent history or far back in history. This is history we can touch, still. Yes, there has been a lot that’s been done and a lot has been put in place. Thank God that these women were around doing what they did because there would have been no equal pay up to 1970. Thank you, Barbara.”

But haven’t things actually regressed somewhat, perhaps?

Hawkins continued. “Yes. It does go like that if we stop talking. We don’t talk about money. Definitely in the U.K. we’re guilty of that, probably more than in the U.S., just because [Americans are] more vocal about things generally. There’s certain things being pushed through congress now and… we’re having to look at the issues and readdress certain loopholes that have kept women in a certain place and kept that pay gap wide. That’s frightening. Do we have to keep looking at these issues and make sure that we’re talking about them all the time to make sure that we get what we’re owed? Well, yes we do.”

“I think it’s quite interesting, the self-esteem aspect of it,” Richardson added. “I haven’t got historical facts at my fingertips and, I’m sorry, I’m just not operating like that,” the actress added, getting some chuckles from the table. “But just what the ramifications are of allowing that to happen, if I can use those terms, where at any given workplace somebody knows that that is going on and they keep quiet about it, rather than saying ‘This isn’t right’ for fear that they will be opposed, for fear that nobody will be on their side. Or it’s just like ‘I’m not quite worth what the guys are worth.'”

“It’s even something that I used to grumble about,” Richardson continued. “When I was working with a predominantly Oxbridge team on ‘Black Adder.’ There’s the famous thing where guys don’t feel that women can be as funny, certainly in stand-up routines. [Also], even though they’ve been colleges for women, Oxford and Cambridge, for a long long time now, there’s a kind of twisted awe. ‘Yes, they’re marvelous. The girls have done absolutely marvelous, but just not quite as good as the boys.'”

“You proved them wrong in that show, I would say,” Hawkins said, correctly.

“Listen,” Richardson responded to the compliment. “They chose me, for whatever reason, and I wasn’t looking particularly good that day.”

“It was one of the reasons why I wanted to act, seeing you on that show,” Hawkins added.

Shrugging off the flattery, Richardson returned to the topic of workplace sexism. “It’s always there; it’s always lurking. If somebody thinks it’s the way things are and is not told differently, then things go on the way they are for a long, long time. It takes a whole load of individuals to keep saying ‘no.’ It’s a difficult thing to do because you’re unpopular. It’s horrible.”

“It’s scary, but like you say, you have a responsibility to speak up in those situations and not accept [injustice]. But their strength is in their numbers and the fact that they were together. As soon as one and then a few of them started to [get involved], then it went like wildfire, across the country, across the U.K. and then ended up having an knock-on effect on the big boys in the U.S.,” Richardson said.

Then I asked about the mostly seamless blend of comedy and pathos in “Made in Dagenham,” asking the two performers about how they approached the funny parts and the not-so-funny parts.

“I guess it’s in the writing, isn’t’ it? For my part, I just thought Barbara’s speeches were very authentic. I wasn’t thinking ‘funny,’ on the day,” Richardson said, adding that, isolated with just a few less than sensitive subordinates, Minister Castle was akin to a “Queen Bee with no hive apparent to look after. [The humor] just comes out of it. Situation comedy, really is what it is, so you don’t have to act funny.”

“People are funny, whether they’re aware of it or not” Hawkins added. “Like Miranda says, you sort of focus in on the character. When you’re objective about people, their situations, what they get sort of worked up about, and how they deal with life, people together and different characters together, that creates comedy. It’s on a level that is tragic. Life is both funny and tragic at the same time. It’s only when you’re sort of at the back-end of something that sort of stumped you momentarily, or not, is when you realize how funny it was.”

The next question addressed the highly diverse nature of Sally Hawkins’ work after her widely beloved breakthrough in “Happy-Go-Lucky,” which includes smaller roles in more somber films like “Never Let Me Go.” The upshot being that acting is a very feast-or-famine kind of a business and, even though Hawkins is in her feast phase right now, it’s not like all of her movies are being made back-to-back.

“I’m drawn to good writing. But it is the people that surround it, or wanting to work with that director or that actress or that actor. Having people that you admire just inspires you. I love delving into different characters. Keep challenging yourself and keep learning.” And then, showing a bit of her “Happy-Go-Lucky” joyful self-deprecation, she made fun of the fact that what she was saying was a bit of an actor’s cliche, though Miranda Richardson was quick to remind us that often cliches are cliches because they are true.

“No, it is how it is. They don’t come along one a minute, the stonking on every page thing. Sometimes it’s good to do, ‘Alright, well it doesn’t look like much.’ But it is. It’s juicy.”

“You want it to be something you sink your teeth into,” Hawkins added.

The next question asked if Hawkins felt any pressure to win an Oscar for her performance in “Happy-Go-Lucky.” The answer, alas, is that there wasn’t one — not even a nomination, just a bunch of critics group Best Actress awards, not to mention a Golden Globe. The questioner expressed shock, which is actually understandable. Given the caliber and acclaim of the performance, it actually is hard to believe Hawkins was not at least nominated for an Oscar. Still, winning the Golden Globe isn’t nothing and it was framed as an upset over the favorite for the “Comedy or Musical” Golden Globe, Meryl Streep for “Mamma Mia!.”

“It was like the Oscars for me. I didn’t think it could get much better than that,” Hawkins said. “Comparatively, it’s a small, low budget film in North London, for no money. Suddenly you’re on this huge scale. Of course you have your own expectations of yourself and then you think, ‘Oh, God.’ But then you have to take it all with a pinch of salt. After it, you come back home a little shell-shocked by the whole thing. As long as you just know it will all die down again, it will calm down. I’ve been quite lucky that I’m not chased by paparazzi. Thank God. I’m not that type of actor. I’m not, God forbid, a celebrity in that way. You just have to make sure you focus on the work. It’s not about you, really. If people love what you do and love the films that you’re in, that’s all you want as an actor.”

Then, finally, came the inevitable “Harry Potter” question for Miranda Richardson, despite the fact that her character doesn’t really appear in the novel. Would the deeply dishonest magical yellow journalist Rita Skeeter again be seen, perhaps wielding a wand as well as her poisoned pen, in the final two installments of the film series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows“?

“Very, very briefly. But pithily. I hope I’ll leave my mark,” Richardson concluded.

* The first half of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” will be in a mere 2D. Two dimensions were good enough for Rick Blaine, they’re good enough for Harry. Especially if they really were facing serious technical difficulties, smart move. No studio needs another “Clash of the Titans” fiasco.

* It’s pretty rare that I know for sure I want to see a movie just from simply knowing the topic, the star, and the director, but when it’s a biopic/docudrama about the great-but-homicidal Phil Specter, it’s being directed by David Mamet, and it’s starring Al Pacino, that’s when I know. (Here’s the original NYT post that broke the story, which gives a bit more background on Specter for you youngsters.)

* Classic film lover that I am, I also feel pretty good about “My Week with Marilyn” which has Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, Dougray Scott as her beleaguered husband, playwright Arthur Miller, Kenneth Branagh (who else?) as Laurence Olivier, and Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh (!) among others. And check out the pic of Ms. Williams/Monroe that’s been circulating all over the net today.

Aren’t you glad I used that pictures instead of something of Phil “Mr. Fright Wit” Specter or Al Pacino?

* Speaking of the lovely and talented Ms. Williams, “Blue Valentine,” her new film with Ryan Gosling, got a very rare — if it sticks — NC-17 rating today from the ever-screwed-up ratings folks at the MPAA. Mike Fleming calls this a “head scratcher” for the emotionally intense and, from the sound of it, not at all raunchy or overly sexual relationship drama. Of course, in the meantime all kinds of ultraviolence gets right on through with an R while an I’m sure classy Brit exercise like “The Kings’ Speech” gets an identical R — also the same rating given a certain gastrointestinal horror film I’m trying to see how long I can go without directly mentioning — for nothing more than a bunch of context-free, stammered F-words. How fucked up is that? (Two more and fucks and this blog is R-rated. Oh, wait, there’s one in a cartoon below. Fuck.)

* In the pay of U.S. contractors, Afghan warlord Mr. Pink, who may have been connected to the Taliban, allegedly killed Afghan warlord Mr. White. Which one was acting like more of a professional?

* Personnel changes in critic land. Todd McCarthy will be probably be more comfortable at THR, but Indiewire is obviously one of the class acts in this business and I’m glad Anne Thompson is staying put there.

* I think this item about the flap over the trailer for Ron Howard’s “The Dilemma” means that referring to something you find “lame” as “gay” is going to eventually become about the same as referring to an effective act of bargaining as “Jewing” someone down is to us today — something you’ll only see on “Mad Men.” I’m sure a lot of people who use the expression aren’t homophobic, but — as with my “Jew” example, the reasons this isn’t really cool should be fairly apparent and, as the current “It Gets Better” campaign points out, as did Anderson Cooper in the Deadline item linked above, this kind of thing is about more than just words. If I call something “gay,” I try to make sure I actually mean “homosexual” or extremely upbeat. I’m a little mad at myself in that I let the word pass in my post with the trailer in question some time back, but the whole apparent harmlessness of the project distracted me, I guess.

* I might have my doubts about an afterlife, but the interminable, never-ending back-and-forth on “Ghostbusters 3” is giving me a glimpse of eternity.

* A UK Sundance? Shouldn’t that be Fog-and-drizzle-dance? (Yes, I’ll be here all week.)

* Shia vs. Frankie. The battle that dare not speak its name. And just what is a “Frankie Muniz type zone” anyway? For that matter, what’s a LaBeouf type zone and would anyone of us want to spend time there, either?

* Apparently because every other comic book and strip in the world has already been covered, Fox has just picked up the rights to “The Family Circus.” Not since the “Where’s Waldo?” movie has a property so screamed for a cinematic reinvention. Oh, and there was a bidding war. I mean, there’s no reason this can’t eventually become a decent movie, but, if so, it won’t have anything much to do with the single panel series, but I guess the name’s worth something.

H/t Cinematical.