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…

TV Review: Girls Season 5

Last weekend brought the Season 5 finale of HBO’s Girls, in a double whammy that I wasn’t expecting, nor mentally prepared for. Now, I love the fact that Girls doesn’t stretch their Seasons out across an entire year like too many shows, but ten half an hour long episodes just isn’t enough for me! I was already mourning the fact that next week would be it for a year, but then both episodes came out at once and whilst one part of me thought I could save Episode 10 for next week, I also needed to consume both episodes as quickly as possible.

I only actually got into Girls last November, when I was on the hunt for a new show and heard it mentioned in too many places to ignore it. On the face of it, Girls should never have been a show I could enjoy as much as I do. It follows the lives of four girls (funnily enough) living in New York, struggling to find their places in the world. A world I’m very much not a part of. Maybe escapism is what I get from it. Either way, the second I saw Lena Dunham’s character Hannah eating a huge piece of cake whilst in the bath, I was hooked. I can relate to this girl in at least one way!

Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching it ‘real time’, but Season 5 has definitely been one of the best. I haven’t been happy with every storyline, but when an episode can focus entirely on my least favourite character (looking at you, Marnie) and be the most memorable, then something’s being done right for sure! I hated the way Hannah and Adam’s relationship was left at the end of Season 4, so I was dying to find out what would happen. Here’s what - it got torn out of my chest and ripped to shreds. 

I’ve got to start with the rollercoaster of emotions that is Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Adam’s (Adam Driver) relationship. I’ve always been flying the flag for Hannah and Adam so I was absolutely not cool with this development, until their date at the fair, which was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever watched. Big thumbs down at the way Jessa treated Hannah over it all though. Not cool! Also not cool? Jessa and Adam’s fight in the final episode. I didn’t know whether to laugh or be absolutely terrified. Anyone questioning the casting choice of Kylo Ren need look no further, here! This has got to be the beginning of the end for them, surely?

Poor Shosh (Zosia Mamet)! It’s such a shame things didn’t work out for her in Japan, she seemed right at home there. Now that she’s back, I was half hoping she would turn Ray’s (Alex Karpovsky) coffee shop into a cat cafe, but she’s turning the place round, regardless. I’ve had my fingers crossed for a Shosh and Ray reunion for a while, and then Ray went and followed Marnie (Allison Williams) on tour. Ray! What are you doing, man?!

Marnie has been the character I’ve loved to hate. She’s so self absorbed she can’t see what’s happening around her, and yet some of the things she comes out with are absolutely hilarious, like her surprise that people still get mugged. When she walked away from Charlie mid-season, I had such high hopes for her. She was going to leave Desi (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and realised she can’t spend her life trying to fix broken men. Of course, she ruined all those good feelings I had in the very next episode. Oh, Marnie…

And then there was Hannah. Hannah is controversial at the best of times, but she’s been really pushing the mark this Season. From showing her lady parts to her boss to forcing herself on Ray, it’s been hard to defend her. Yet in the final two episodes, she grew so much. She’s quit the job she neither enjoyed or was very good at, and re-discovered her passion for writing, which she is bloody amazing at! Her changed attitude towards Jessa and Adam was so grown up of her, but my heart breaks when I think about what she must have heard Adam shout about her. I honestly don’t think there’s a chance for them, now. I’ll still hold onto the hope they can become good friends by the end of the last Season though, they bounced off each other so well.

That finale was just so perfect that it felt like the actual final finale to the whole show. I’d have almost been okay with that, but I still have so many unanswered questions. Last year brings the final Season, though. Sadface!

HBO's Girls - 11 Reasons to Love Hannah Horvath

Whilst I can't claim to be a die hard Girls fan, (I only started watching the show in December last year) I can say that it is without a doubt one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It seems to really divide the nation between love and hate, and even though I can't fully relate to any of it's main characters, (I'm British, have a boring job and am not financially funded by my parents) there's something about the cast that has me hooked, and Lena Dunham's character Hannah is normally the one to thank for that.

Hannah isn't without her faults. She's selfish at times, reacts badly in social situations, and gets herself into some terrible relationships. But not one episode has gone by where I haven't thought to myself at least once, "omg that's me" and that's why, deep down, I love her. So, in true ramble and list form, here are just a few of the reasons I find her so loveable.

1. She attempted to cut her own hair, which went horribly wrong. I've had a fringe all my life, and on too many occasions I've resorted to trimming it myself. When I had something similar to a pixie cut, I went one step further, and that ended disatrously. 

2. Her dress sense changes dramatically to sophisticated chic to a complete mess. Come on, we're surely all guilty of buying a 'quirky' top that we were so sure we could pull off at the time? 

3. I think this was in the very first episode, but once I saw Hannah eating a cupcake whilst in the bath, I knew that Girls was the show for me. Not that I've actually done this myself. Yet.

4. Food might be a running theme in this post, come to think of it. Anyway, I'm 26 years old and still use the phrase 'I'm a growing girl'. Sadly I only seem to grow outwards now. Sadface.

5. This bridesmaid dress moment had me in stitches. Dresses are hard, okay?! Especially any dresses related to a wedding. I should know! For the record, I'm digging the way Hannah put this on.

6. Have I mentioned food yet?

7. I don't think I've heard such true words before. This is definitely who I want! Thankfully I found him, and we're making it official in May!

8. I honestly feel like I've learnt things from this show. For years I've said yes to every offer of plans, even ones I didn't want to do, and since I started saying no more, I'm a much happier person.

9. Hannah can be so overdramatic, and although this is normally when she can get irritating, the car crash moment was funny. I've certainly been a little theatrical for some extra sympathy in the past.

10. Hannah's enthusiasm and confidence are my favourite traits of hers, and this quote in particular is brilliant. You don't need to be skilled in all things, and I wish curiosity got you further in the real world.

11. Finally, and this might not mean much to you, but this is exactly how I'm blogging right now, and it wasn't until I was researching some imagery for this post that I even realised. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to run a bath, grab a cupcake and then cut my own hair...

Valentine's Day: My Favourite TV Romances

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! I hope you’re all having a great weekend. I spent Friday night at the cinema with my fiance and 4 of our friends watching Deadpool, and Saturday afternoon getting tattooed (a paper X-Wing if you’re curious), so it’s been pretty romantic so far. Not! Tonight though, our fanciest wine glasses will come out of the cupboards, for a night on the sofa with the BAFTAs! Steamy.

In the spirit of today, I wanted to share some of my favourite TV romances. Spoiler alerts ahead in case you aren’t up to date with any of these shows!

Leslie & Ben (Parks and Recreation)

It took me a whole season to really get into Parks and Recreation, and by the time I came to really appreciate it’s comedy, they introduced two new characters, Chris and Ben. Change upsets me, and when Ben’s presence started to distract Leslie from her beautiful land mermaid friend Anne, I got angry. That lasted all of about 2 episodes before I came to realise just how perfect Leslie & Ben are. #RelationshipGoals right here!

Cutest Moment: Too many to count, but my tablet wallpaper has been the shot of them both on their wedding day in front of their favourite mural for some time now.

Monica & Chandler (Friends)

Any fan of Friends can tell you in a heartbeat which character they relate to most. I know I’m a Monica, admittedly high maintenance, but I’m also a bit of a Chandler, telling terrible jokes in the absolute worst situations. That’s why I loved their relationship so much. I’ve been rewatching a lot of episodes lately whilst I’ve been wedding planning, I can’t wait to show Jenna my table plan which is inspired by Monica’s!

Cutest Moment: The proposals, without a doubt.

Hannah & Adam (Girls)

Ugh. Girls is my current obsession, and I’m excited and terrified for Season 5. That ‘6 months later’ scene in the Season 4 finale was horrible! Hannah & Adam’s relationship has been so interesting to follow. I hated Adam in Season 1, then I hated Hannah in Season 2, and by Season 3 came along, I realised just how well suited they are for each other. They make each other human!

Cutest Moment: When Adam ran through New York City whilst facetiming Hannah just to comfort her when she needed him. I’m not crying again, I promise...

Oliver & Felicity (Arrow)

After a disappointing Season 3 of Arrow, we were promised a much lighter, more ‘comic style’ Season 4, and well, that lasted about 2 episodes. I’m not sure how much longer I can continue defending this show, but the only thing that’s keeping me watching each week is Oliver & Felicity. It’s been a game of ‘will they, won’t they’ for years so it’s hugely satisfying to finally see them together.

Cutest Moment: “Felicity, you have failed this omelette”. 

Ragnar & Lagertha (Vikings)

Leaving the romance topic to one side for a minute, Lagertha from Vikings is arguably the most badass woman on TV right now. I’m in love with her. And her hair. Sigh. Although her on screen relationship with Ragnar didn’t last long, there’s still chemistry there, and well, a girl can hope, can’t she! I doubt I could give forgive Ragnar for what he did though. Naughty man!

Cutest Moment: Erm. Nothing about Ragnar & Lagertha’s relationship was ‘cute’. You can just go ask Athelstan.

Jane & Michael/Rafael (Jane the Virgin)

Jane the Virgin is my ultimate guilty pleasure show! It’s so cheesy, but it’s brilliant, and unlike any other show I’ve watched, I have no idea or inkling as to which relationship is destined to be endgame, or even which I’d like it to be! I change my mind literally every episode. Sometimes, I’m just happy with Michael and Rogelio’s bromance.

Cutest Moment: Can I pick two? Hey, I created this game, of course I can. Over at #TeamMichael, the flashbacks to his and Jane’s early relationship. And at #TeamRafael, those kisses. Swoon.

Jess & Nick (New Girl)

Jess, I miss you! New Girl isn’t the same without you. I nearly picked Schmidt and Cece, because they’re adorable right now, but let's face it, no couple is as cute as Jess and Nick. I’m making a mental note right now to dedicate a whole post to them soon. Fox, please let them get back together! I’m begging you!

Cutest Moment: When Nick made Jess breakfast. Twice. But ask me again tomorrow and my answer will be completely different!

Turk & J.D. (Scrubs)

Okay, okay, bear with me. I mentioned bromance, and then I thought about the most ultimate bromance of all time. Turk and J.D. from Scrubs! A bromance is still a romance, okay! I started watching Scrubs when I had a Friends shaped hole in my life, and this was the perfect remedy. Two characters with such different personalities would understandably never be that close, but the pair were hilarious!

Cutest Moment: “EEEAAAAGGGLLLEEEEEE!”

So, who have I missed on this list? Which TV romances would make your list?

10 Times I Fell in Love with Adam Driver

So, December of 2015 was entirely consumed by Adam Driver. My quest for knowledge in the run up to the release of The Force Awakens got me fascinated by Kylo Ren, and, wanting to know more about the man behind the mask, I found myself binge watching HBO's Girls. After becoming a fully fledged Star Wars fan, I'm now desperately in love with Adam Driver! Now, in list form, here are all the times I fell in love with him...

1. When he was completely relatable.

2. When he and BB-8 held a staring contest on the red carpet.

3. When he shared this hug with Oscar Isaac. Bromance!

4. The Role Play episode of Girls. I have never laughed so hard and felt so turned on at the same time. #Sorrynotsorry for that overshare!

5. When he sang a song about outer space with Oscar Isaac and Justin Timberlake.

6. When Adam saw a dog being mistreated in Girls, stole it, didn't know how to look after it, got bitten, and then roped Ray into coming with him to give it back.

7. When Kylo Ren took his helmet off. I was a gonner at that point.

8. That. Smile. Ugh.

9. When he did a parody of one of my favourite Disney songs and somehow made it even better.

10. Matt the Radar Technician. Need I say anymore?