My 5 Favourite Adam Driver Roles

In celebration of Adam Driver’s birthday today, I’ve made a Top 5 list of my favourite roles of his. You probably know him as that tall guy in the mask who likes to throw a temper tantrum, but he’s been in quite a few movies before The Force Awakens! Sadly, a lot of them are very mediocre indies, but he tends to be the hidden gem in them.

Before I kick off, I’d like to throw in an honorable mention, because I seemingly can’t stick to even my own rules, but he played such as small role in this movie I didn’t want to include it. If you haven’t seen Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) yet, you really should, even if it’s just to see this wonderful musical number:

At the time of writing, that video has 1,572,844 views. I think I'm probably responsible for at least 25,000 of those. So now that’s stuck in my head for the rest of the day, here’s the actual top 5:

#5 Midnight Special (2016), Sevier

Another small role for Adam, but part of a fantastic Sci-Fi movie. Sevier is the NSA agent hunting down Alton, a young boy with special abilities. Sevier becomes quite fascinated by Alton, and ultimately abandons his primary goal to help the boy instead. It’s a very different role to what he normally plays, but his natural goofy charm really shines.

#4 While We’re Young (2014), Jamie

I’m still mad that this movie wasn’t very good. It could have stuck to a real conventional, predictable romcom plot and I would have enjoyed it more. Jamie and his wife(? girlfriend?) become good friends with an older couple, and both pairs learn from each other, which of course includes goofy/fun Adam Driver, my favourite kind, but of course the movie turns all dark and weird. Classic example of a great role in a bad movie.

#3 Hungry Hearts (2014), Jude

Where the previous movie left me disappointed, Hungry Hearts just made me mad and sad. Adam Driver’s on-screen wife (I’m sure this time) becomes obsessed with purity, leaving their newborn baby starving and not growing. It’s a difficult movie to watch, but it’s very well acted and my heart just broke for Jude. You want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay, but at the same time, give him a slap and tell him to take control of the situation!

#2 Girls (2012-2017), Adam Sackler

Maybe I’m cheating a little, because Girls is a TV Show, but hey, this is my list! If anyone out there happened to wonder how Adam Driver got the role in Star Wars, look no further than his character here. Often childish, and occasionally violent, Adam Sackler is a multi-dimensional character. I know it’s not a popular show, but watching Adam’s character grow throughout the seasons has been fascinating, and I hope he has a happy ending when it all ends in 2017.

#1 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Kylo Ren

The role that started this whole obsession of mine just had to be number 1, really. I know Kylo Ren has been shrugged off as a whiny character, but I think there’s a lot of room for character backstory here. You don’t just turn to the dark side for no reason, and I doubt a Snoke Apprenticeship is an easy thing to win. I’m both excited and terrified to see Kylo Ren in the next 2 movies, only because I know he’ll die in the end, and that will make me sad. There’s surely no coming back for him now, no matter how strong the pull from the light is. Is there?

BONUS! I know I already picked an honourable mention, but I just can’t leave this list here. You can’t mention Kylo Ren without mentioning his SNL alter-ego, Matt the Radar Technician. The whole world has seen that clip now, and I’ve seen it too many times to count, but it still makes me laugh. Pleeeeaaaase, powers that be, make Matt canon. I don’t even need to see him, just let General Hux make an off-hand comment about a bumbling idiot in a blonde wig, or something!

It’s now just a few days until Paterson (2016) is released in the UK, and I really can’t wait for that. I don’t think I have a cinema date yet though…

My 5 Favourite Tom Hardy Roles

I love making lists so much that I have a list of lists in my blogging notebook! Sadly I haven’t got around to actually turning any into posts for a while, so I started a to-do list, and the top item was ‘make a list’. Heard the word list enough yet? 

In honour of Tom Hardy’s birthday today, I thought I’d share with you a list of my 5 favourite performances of his. I’d love to make it a Top 10, but my Letterboxd is telling me that I’ve embarrassingly only seen 9 movies that he’s been in. Yikes! He’s an outstanding actor, so I need to raise that number as soon as possible. Can anyone recommend somewhere for me to start? 

Before I start I want to throw in an honourable mention for his character Tuck in This Means War (2012), because that movie is such a guilty pleasure of mine, no matter how absurd it is. Petition for another rom com starring Mr Hardy?

#5 John Fitzgerald, The Revenant (2015)

The Revenant is a movie that I never want to see every again, and I honestly mean that in the best way possible. It was brutal from start to finish, and as much as Leo was great and deserved his Oscar, there wasn’t nearly enough love for Tom Hardy.

#4 Max, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mel Gibson himself gave Tom Hardy his blessing to play Max, and if that isn’t enough of a reason for being in my list, I don’t know what is. I think I could have counted the number of lines Max spoke during the entire movie on my fingers, but of course that’s all part of the persona.

#3 Stuart Shorter, Stuart: A Life Backwards (2007)

This might be one of Tom Hardy’s lesser known roles, but Stuart: A Life Backwards is a fascinating little made-for-TV movie. Hardy plays Stuart, a homeless alcoholic with some terrible issues. It’s certainly not a light hearted movie, but it’s certainly worth a watch!

#2 Ivan Locke, Locke (2013)

I swear, I’ll still be talking about Locke when I’m on my death bed. It’s such an underrated movie. It’s essentially a 90 minute movie in which Ivan Locke drives home from his workplace in Birmingham, having several conversations through his hands-free kit in his phone. That’s literally the entire movie, but it’s gripping.

#1 Reggie & Ron Kray, Legend (2015)

Boy, 2015 was Tom Hardy’s year for sure! It feels odd putting Legend at the top spot, because I didn’t really love the movie. That said, I’m ranking Tom Hardy’s roles rather than the movies themselves, and really, there wasn’t anything else that could take this spot. Hardy manages to play a set of twins with very different personalities and mannerisms, and he does it so well that it’s easy to forget that these twins are in fact the same person. Legend is worth the watch for those performances alone!

So please, let me know what other movies I need to see. Are there any I’ve missed that you would have put in your own Top 5?

My 5 Favourite Chris Hemsworth Roles

G’day, folks! Did you know today is Chris Hemsworth's birthday? Well, today is Chris Hemsworth’s birthday! In true Flick Chicks fashion, I thought I’d celebrate by sharing my 5 favourite roles of his. For such a famous face, it’s surprising how few movies Chris has actually been in, but there’s still far too many I haven’t seen yet. Sigh, if I weren’t at work right now I could be having a Hemsworth-related movie marathon at home! 

Anyway, let’s kick this list off! I’ve even managed (with difficulty) to rank my list for a change:

#5 Stone Crandall, Vacation (2015)

So, only a small role this time, but 2015’s remake/sequel of Vacation was so packed with cameos this felt like a much larger role. And sure, his only real job here was to take his shirt off and pose in those far too tight grey boxers, but I’m a warm-blooded female dangit, I enjoyed it! 

#4 George Kirk, Star Trek (2009)

Again, a small role in the newly rebooted Star Trek movie, but arguably a very important one. I mean, there’s no James Kirk without George Kirk, right?! What excites me the most though is that Chris Hemsworth has been confirmed for the next sequel. I know next to nothing about Star Trek so can’t speculate much, but I’m looking forward to it!

#3 James Hunt, Rush (2013)

Any actor who can leave me raving about a Biographical Motorsport movie should be handed with every award going. I can’t even remember why I let myself be dragged to the cinema for this one, but the chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl was just phenomenal, the rivalry felt so real.

#2 Kevin, Ghostbusters (2016)

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that Kevin was downright hilarious in the Ghostbusters remake. From answering the phone terribly, posing with musical instruments, to the whole interview scene where he asks if he can bring in ‘Mike Hat’...which is his dog...who lives with his aunt. I’m genuinely laughing right now, that joke will never get old.

#1 Thor, The Marvel Universe

Come on, there was never any real question about the number 1 spot, was there? Chris Hemsworth was born to play Thor! I haven’t picked up a Marvel comic in a couple of years now, but Thor was my favourite character, so I had high hopes when the first movie was announced. Needless to say I was very happy! It’s not just that he has the look, either. It’s in his mannerisms, and the ease that he pulls off that old-timey way of speaking. He can be this powerful God among men one minute, and a loveable oaf the next. I’m really looking forward to Ragnarok next year!

What about you guys? Are there any roles you'd have included, or movies Chris Hemsworth was in that you can recommend for me? I may just have that movie marathon this evening, instead!

Happy Birthday Tom Hanks

As you probably have noticed, me and Allie regularly have obsessions with various actors/actresses, the Ryans, Emma Stone, Adam Driver and Taron Egerton to name but a few BUT though all of my short lived obsessions there is one actor that I always come back to as my ultimate favourite.  Any film with the name Tom Hanks on the post will grab my attention, there are films that to me look terribly boring but I have watched them because of Mr Hanks and have not been disappointed (Bridge of Spies).  

To celebrate his 60th birthday, I decided to write up my Top 5 of his films.  This posed a problem, it is impossible to pick 5 films from his vast filmography from his 36 year career, I did however manage to cut it down to 10 but I can't order them, so in no particular order, here are the my Top 0 Tom Hanks films:

Tom Hanks is one of the only actors who can make you cry over a volleyball, his incredible acting skills meant he needed no other actors on screen to hold the audiences attention and have you on the edge of your seat.  The first time I saw the 'Wilsoooooon' scene I cried my eyes out and it stuck with me for a long time afterwards.

If I haven't mentioned it once or a thousand times throughout this blog, I adore Forrest Gump, another film where Hanks shows heartbreak so believably that you cry real tears. Countless quotes from this film will forever be used in everyday conversation and I don't think I know anyone who hasn't seen this.  

I have only watched this film once and I cried and cried and it stuck with me for weeks afterwards, I couldn't forget it.  I remember thinking it was a brilliant film but I haven't had the guts to watch it again yet although I would love to, I just need to be in the right frame of mind.  Having just read a little bit about it, I didn't realise it was based on a Stephen King novel, maybe I should try the book first.

I am a huge Disney fan and I have read books and books on Walt Disney and his businesses. So when  I found out they were releasing a film about Walt Disney and his work on getting Mary Poppins on the big screen and that Disney would be played by Tom Hanks I was so excited.  I wasn't disappointed when the film was released, I loved every second and I was really glad that they posed some of  Walt's more pushy characteristics that are rarely focused on when thinking about the man who created Mickey Mouse.

I remember when I saw the trailer for this and wondered how it could be an entertaining film but it was brilliant.  It's heartwarming and charming as well as being funny and upsetting all at once.  It has a great cast (less Catherine Zeta-Jones), a brilliant script and an amazing story.

Stick Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio on the screen together and you are bound to get a winner and this is just that.  It did feel long but this duo keep the pace up throughout the film and keeps you thoroughly entertained.  

This was an accidental find back in the late 90's, I recorded it on VHS from the TV after reading the synopsis in the TV guide and I watched it over and over again.  I loved the music to the point that I still have them on my iPod to blast in my car.  What I didn't realise was that Tom Hanks wrote, directed and starred in this, now I love it even more!  It's a great feel good movie, you can't help but smile when the boys become a success and sing along to the 60's soundtrack.

"There's no crying in baseball" - I have this quote on my bedroom wall as one of my favourite movie quotes ever.  I have watched this countless times with my Dad over the years and I still get a tear in my eye when Jimmy (Tom Hanks) has to walk down the line of women with the telegram from the war office. 

"Houston, we have a problem" is also on my wall!  I may have a little obsession with Tom Hanks!  Another one that reminds me of family movies nights, it was always difficult to find a film that Mom and Dad liked and was suitable for a 10 year old.  This was before Dad found his love for animated movies and superhero movies which we now share our love for. Apollo 13, the first few times I watched it I don't think I understood a lot of what happened but I have watched it countless times since and still love it.

A grown man that can convincingly play a 13 year old boy and make you believe it can only be Tom Hanks.  Hundreds of times while watching Big I was completely immersed, I believed that he was a 13 year old boy.  The toy store scene is one of my favourites and makes me grin from ear to ear.

Happy Birthday Tom!!

J.J. Abrams Made Me a Space Nerd

We live in a golden age right now where being a geek, or a nerd, is not only acceptable, but actually kind of cool. If only 15 year old me knew just how great life was going to get! I’ve been a gaming nerd since I was old enough to hold a SNES controller, I burnt more hours than I care to admit playing World of Warcraft, and I’ve even played several sessions of Dungeons & Dragons, but I’ve always found myself in an almost defensive manner stating ‘yeah, but I don’t like space-y stuff’. 

Perhaps I saw that as the final threshold into full on nerd-ism that I was too scared to cross, but until 3 years ago I couldn’t tell the difference between Star Trek and Stargate, and my Star Wars knowledge was limited to the fact that Darth Vader was Luke’s Father. Er, spoiler alert. What made all of that change was the release of Star Trek Into Darkness. I had found my love of movies, and decided that I’d give any movie a chance, no matter how boring it sounded, and I guess at the time I’d thought that backfired, when my husband, then fiance, said he wanted to see the sequel.

I made the even bigger mistake of admitting I hadn’t seen the 2009 version, and so not only was I forced to watch it on that very night, but the next day we went to see Into Darkness. I never thought I’d find myself loving it quite so much! Someone had just made Star Trek fascinating to me, and I owed it all to J.J. Abrams. As I tend to do, I spent an hour on his IMDB profile checking the rest of his work, and realised he was also responsible for giving me an interest in the Mission: Impossible series. Ghost Protocol was the first I’d seen, and so I was super excited when Rogue Nation was announced!

Of course, in December 2015 J.J. Abrams did the impossible, and made me fall hard for Star Wars. So hard, our wedding cake topper, reception cocktails and even my wedding shoes were Star Wars themed. I don’t think my Dad’s ever been so proud of me! 

When the stealthy advertisements came out for 10 Cloverfield Lane, I sat and watched the original Cloverfield that same day, and when the release for the new movie came out, I dragged my family to the cinema like a kid on Christmas Day. Never before have I been excited for something because of a Director. Actor or actress, yes, but not Director. That’s partly thanks to the blog, too, for making me think more critically about what I watch, but still.

So here’s to you, J.J. Abrams, Happy Birthday, and thanks for turning me into the space nerd my Dad and Husband have always wanted! I can’t wait for Star Trek Beyond.

Top 5 Domhnall Gleeson Roles

As if I needed an excuse to gush about my favourite people in the movie world, today is Domhnall Gleeson’s birthday! Pronounced ‘Doh-nuhl’ (in my accent anyway) which took me far too long to work out. I’d been calling him ‘Dom-un-all’ for ages, and then had a moment of crisis in our review of The Revenant. You can always trust the internet to help you, though!

He was only on my radar because of his ties to the Harry Potter series until last year, when he managed to land himself a role in 4 Oscar-Nominated movies in just 2015. What a star! I can’t wait to see more from him in the coming years, I find it fascinating how well he plays a hopeless romantic and a sneering douchebag, and comes across perfect in each!

Whilst I wait though, I thought I’d track down and watch the rest of his filmography like a crazy person make a little list of my top 5 favourite roles of his. Bill Weasley gets an honourable mention here, only because he’s my least favourite Weasley brother, and damnnnn 2015 was a brilliant year!

How amazing was Brooklyn? I only watched it because of its nominations, a romance movie like this is not something I’d normally enjoy, but I fell in love with it instantly. I think mainly due to the characters, who we just so loveable. Obviously I know how perfect Eilis and Tony were for each other, but when Eilis met Jim back in her hometown, he was so sweet and such a gentleman that a big part of me definitely wouldn’t have been mad if they ended up together.

I actually had no idea Domhnall Gleeson played General Hux until after I’d watched the movie for the first time, he’s just such a different character! Gone is gentle, kindhearted boy, he’s replaced with a slimy, sneering General thrust into an important military position at far too young of an age. We don’t actually get to see much of Hux in The Force Awakens, but I’m hoping for some more scenes of his with Kylo Ren in Episode VIII, as the two battle for Supreme Leader Snoke’s approval.

You can’t call him evil, but Jon is a bit of an annoying douchebag in Frank. I can forgive that though, because he shares my undying love for ham and cheese toasties, and shouts my favourite bad word at the top of his voice in the middle of a hot tub. Jon’s character transition from the bumbling guy in the background to the power behind the whole band (I can’t remember what it’s called now...it was so weird) is interesting to watch, as the whole thing comes round in a full circle. 

Ugh, I love this movie so much. It’s another romance I didn’t expect to love so much, but this one has much more comedy than Brooklyn. It also has my favourite wedding scene ever in it. If it’s going to rain on my wedding day this month, let it be like this! I don’t do anything by halves. It’s such a delight watching Tim grow as this goofy guy looking for love, into the fully fledged, doting husband he becomes. Swoon!

There’s definitely a running theme here, because I was practically forced to watch Ex Machina last year. The trailer didn’t sell it to me at all, but it became one of my favourites of the entire year. There’s something about Caleb’s character that just oozes nerves, excitement and terror at the same time. The movie itself takes a turn into dark territory and Caleb is forced right into the centre of it all. 

What do you think? Are there any roles you would have included in your top 5 that aren't listed here? I'd love to know if there's a great movie I haven't seen yet.

Happy Birthday to the Voice Behind Kanan Jarrus & the Iron Bull!

Back when I was in school, the name Freddie Prinze Jr. was everywhere. Star of She’s All That (1999) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), two movies I still haven’t seen, all the girls around me were in love with him. I was at a weird age where boys were still gross, but I still knew the name. I didn’t get a glimpse of him until he played the Male Nanny in Friends! I read the title of this post and had no idea what you were talking about, but now I understand and I can confirm I was one of the girls who was in love with Freddie!!

Anyway, years later, Freddie Prinze Jr. is still a name I think about, but for an entirely different reason, and seeings as today is his Birthday, what better day to celebrate my favourite work of his, as the voice behind two of my favourite animated characters, Kanan Jarrus from Star Wars Rebels, an animated Disney XD cartoon show, and the Iron Bull, a loyal companion in the video game Dragon Age: Inquisition. Eh?!

It’s a testament to Freddie’s work that these two characters are extremely dissimilar in both character and voice, but also completely loveable. Kanan is a sensible, smart and powerful Jedi and the leader of his gang of rebels, and the Iron Bull is a brash, adventurous, foul-mouthed companion to your playable inquisitor. What’s I find fascinating was that although I already knew Freddie voiced Iron Bull, when I first started watching Rebels, I knew that Kanan’s voice was familiar, and when I looked it up, I refused to believe it was the same voice actor! Occasionally when Kanan gets grumpy you can hear those deeper Iron Bull tones.

I’d be lying if I said that Star Wars Rebels wasn’t a children’s show, but it’s story is so well told and its characters so well developed, that is still an interesting and fun watch for the ‘big kids’ like me out there! It’s currently heading towards the end of Season 2, and whilst this Season has been mostly giving more detailed backstory to each of our characters, things are rapidly gaining momentum to a grand finale. Kanan’s story is still very mysterious, but I have a feeling we’ll soon know more.

Forgive me for talking video games on our Movie & TV blog, but I’m also a huge gamer, although not as much as I used to be. I have followed the Dragon Age Series since its beginning in 2009. They are a fantastic series for RPG fans, and it’s the companion characters that make it so enjoyable. Huh?! The Iron Bull is introduced in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and it’s easy to see why he’s such a fan favourite. He’s crass, rude and drinks like no-one you’ve ever seen before. Freddie Prinze Jr. does an amazing job of portraying a huge character both terrifyingly intimidating and completely loveable at the same time. 

So Happy Birthday, Freddie, and thanks for your amazing voice work. It’s almost enough to make me want to play Mass Effect 3 to see you portray Lt. James Vega, but no amount of practice will ever make me able to play a shooter game. Eh?!

In case anyone was wondering Allie is a gamer, I am not! This is all completely over my head!

Happy Birthday, Jennifer Aniston!

Around 12 years ago, when I really started getting into movies, I was hooked on Jennifer Aniston. Well, her and Jake Gyllenhaal. But as a 14 year old girl trying to work out where on earth to start in the movie world, I honed in on my favourite actress from my favourite TV Show, Friends. We’d just got a family eBay and Amazon account, and the knowledge that I could spend my pocket money on anything I wanted online was amazing to me at the time.

I could even use the internet to look up all of Jennifer Aniston’s movies, and read what they were about to see if they sounded like something I would enjoy. It’s bizarre to even type this right now!

My point being, that even now I love Jennifer Aniston as much as I did back then. So, in honour of her birthday today, I wanted to share my three favourite Jennifer Aniston performances.

I had to start where it all began, didn’t I? Friends seems to be a hit and miss show for people but it was my entire childhood! My friends and I would rush to school on a Thursday morning to talk about the episode from the night before, and I haven’t been to a house that hasn’t had a copy of the boxset. Fashion has never been my forte, so I idolised Rachel Green. 

All I wanted was for all of my friends to move into the same apartment building and spend every living moment with each other. Rachel would be my best friend and take me shopping. And then I grew up, and realised that some days living with my fiance was difficult enough, and I’ve just spent an hour tidying this living room so no, I don’t want any guests!

The Good Girl was the movie of my adolescent years. This was the goldmine for me, my favourite actor and my favourite actress together in a movie. I was an angsty 15 year old, just learning what depression was, but not really knowing how to deal with it, and so I can’t remember the amount of times I re-watched this. That was a terrible coping mechanism, looking back on it, ha!

Anyway, Jennifer Aniston’s character Justine was completely different to Rachel in Friends, and I do still admire her performance in this. Whenever anyone tells me she’s only good in comedies I always bring up The Good Girl.

How is Horrible Bosses 5 years old already?! This has to be my favourite comedy of all time! It’s nothing groundbreaking I know, but I think the cast as a whole just work so well together. Despite my thoughts on Jennifer Aniston’s more serious side, it’s movies like this where she really shines. I mean come on, you don’t have to be a heterosexual male to find Dr Julia Harris smokin’ hot!

I’d love to see some of the outtakes of her lines, I don’t know how anyone kept a straight face. I’m actually laughing to myself just thinking about it! I very nearly included We’re The Millers, which is another great comedy that I highly recommend. She plays a similar character in that.

Happy Birthday Ryan Gosling...

...In honour of Mr Gosling's 34th Birthday, I thought I would cover my Top 5 Ryan movies.  However, in looking for these I realised he has not actually done that many films.  I reckon I can see all of these pretty sharpish therefore I would have justification to write the Ryan Gosling Best/Worst post.

I know this film had a huge twist but everytime I go a year without watching it I forget the end so I can watch it again with fresh eyes.  I can't decide whether this is a good or bad thing but I enjoy the film and Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as sociopath Ted Crawford tormenting Detective Beachum (Ryan Gosling) at every turn.

Gosling is brilliant as the strong silent type in this action packed thriller, he barely speaks and yet you know what he's thinking (to a certain extent) and he steals every scene he's in (which is most of them).  It is gory in parts, but that's not something that has ever bothered me and I think in this particular story it's relevant rather than pointless (such as in Hostel).

We've already done a review on this, if you haven't seen it you can here but this was one that really surprised me.  I wasn't expecting to enjoy this at all but Ryan Gosling saved the day with his incredible performance as the lonely Lars who falls in love with a  sex doll.  He does such a great job that you actually start seeing Bianca as an actual character.

Need I say more.....

Anyone who knows me would have guessed that this was my number 1 as it is one of my favourite movies.  I love Gosling and McAdam's  chemistry in this and the brilliant similarities between Gosling and Garner's versions of Noah.  For me, his best yet.