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…

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.

The Acting Black Blogathon

If you didn’t know already (I sure didn’t!), in the US, February has been designated Black History Month. Our good friend Dell over at Dell on Movies has in previous years written some blog posts on the matter, but this year he’s invited us all to join him in his latest project, The Acting Black Blogathon.

The rules are simple enough, but as he puts them so eloquently, I’ll not do him a misjustice and simply copy and paste them from his original post here:

1a. Create a new post about a great movie performance by a Black actor or actress. Tell us why you love it. Or…

1b. Create a new post about a Black actor or actress. Discuss that person’s body of cinematic work to demonstrate why they’re great.

2. Within your post, link back to this one.

3. Either use one of the snazzy banners I’ve created or one you’ve made on your own. If your make your own just include the pertinent information (my blog title, the name of the blogathon and the dates).

4. Publish your post from February 15 through February 17, 2016 and submit a link to it in one of the three ways listed above.

To eliminate the risk of duplicate posts, Dell asked us to submit our topics of choice in advance. I was perhaps a little unoriginal in my choice, but I am so in love with John Boyega recently that I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to dedicate an entire blog post to him and his talent.

At just 23 years old, John Boyega doesn’t have a massive filmography right now, although I’m sure that’s bound to change over the next few years. That works out fine for me though, as I really want to talk about his 2 biggest roles so far, Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Moses in Attack the Block. 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the first performance I saw of John Boyega, and although it’s a running tradition with the Star Wars movies, I was surprised to learn that John is a bit of a newcomer! I thought he did an amazing job of playing Finn, the First Order Stormtrooper who threw in the towel and escaped. He brings so much enthusiasm and energy to the role, and I found myself smiling in nearly every scene he was in. He has a natural charm and is so instantly likeable! 

His chemistry with co-star Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) was one of the highlights, and well, if you’ve ever been on Tumblr you’ve probably seen everyone’s new favourite OTP, #StormPilot. Ahem…

I really can’t wait to see more of Finn in Episode VIII, (The Force Awakens spoiler ahead) but I’m just hoping he’s recovered from Kylo Ren’s brutal attack! Update: If you follow John on Twitter, there's no doubt Finn is ready!

So, when I finally watched Attack the Block, I was expecting a very similar character in Moses, leader of the gang of youths trying to save their neighbourhood from an alien attack. Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong! Gone is the happy face and upbeat attitude. This isn’t the John Boyega I thought I knew at all.

Moses is tough, much tougher than Finn, and he leads his gang without the need of barking orders or putting anyone in their place. They know it already. His moral compass is broken, mugging a lone woman on her way home, and when he does finally apologise for the act, his apology only comes from the fact he didn’t realise she lived in ‘the block’. In fact, if she lived two streets down he wouldn’t have been sorry at all.

That’s the moment when I realised. This man can act! Watching those two performances almost back to back was quite incredible, actually. I think the real John Boyega, from what I’ve seen of him in interviews anyway, is much closer to Finn. The guy is an absolute sweetheart actually, and he’s the most well-spoken man I’ve ever heard! Just check him out in this interview here:

I also wanted to use this opportunity to throw in my ‘two cents’ on the #OscarsSoWhite issue, although I realise it’s old news now. There is definitely an issue here, and it does need addressing, but I don’t think throwing that hashtag around and blaming the Academy is really the right thing to do. There was a quote I read a few weeks ago, and I can’t for the life of me remember who it was now, but the quote went something like this…

“Roles win Oscars, not actors”

That struck a chord with me. And I think the point I want to make is that better roles need to be written and given to people of colour. It’s no good to just throw in nominations for actors, actresses and directors of colour just for the sake of diversity.

Anyway, with that little rant over, I just want to thank Dell for hosting this amazing blogathon, and I’m really looking forward to reading everyone else’s contributions!

Our Favourite Movies of 2015 (So Far!)

Jenna I don’t know about you but I nearly decided to not do this list. I’ve only seen about 30 of this year’s releases so far, but I figured a ‘Favourite Movies’ list of what we’ve seen so far will do for now, and we can revisit it again later in 2016 when we’ve seen more!

So without further ado…

I’m still riding the hype of Inside Out. Still looking at my Sadness and Bing Bong Pop figures (thanks Jenna!) full of optimism that it won’t get snubbed at the Oscars. Just give it 1 award and that’ll keep me happy.  The movies that I can relate to in some way are always my favourites, but never has a movie got inside my head quite like this one before. Yes yes yes! Fully agree, this was the best animation of the year and one of my favourite releases overall...this definitely made my Top Movies List.

I started 2015 as a non-believer. Would huff and switch off at the mere mention of Star Wars. Now? Well right now I’m writing this list in my stormtrooper pjs, drinking a cup of tea from my Kylo Ren mug. There’s a Death Star ornament on my Christmas tree to my right. Yup, The Force Awakens has fully converted me, and I reckon by the time this post is published, I’ll have seen it 3 times.  I have yet to see this, it is booked and I am working my way through the original trilogy in preparation!

You may have noticed from my review that I LOVED Legend, this may be my number 1 for the year.  Although, with the line-up I think it is nearly impossible to rate these in 1 to 10.  I can't really explain why I loved it so much as usually I am not the biggest fan of British films but this blew me away.  Honestly, can't wait to get it on DVD so I can watch it again. I really need to re-watch this! Tom Hardy's performances in this were a highlight of the year for me for sure, but I just didn't enjoy the movie itself as much as I had hoped.

Holy moly, I can’t even believe this was released in the UK in 2015. Juuust about. Like, 1st January just about I think. I watched Birdman because I was curious about it looking like 1 long take, and well, because Emma Stone, but I was truly awe-strucken by the end. In fact, nearly 12 months later, I still haven’t decided what my take on that ending is.  When I saw this in this post I couldn't believe it came out this year, it felt like AGES ago, so much so that I checked...twice!  As much as I loved this, I had other films that topped it for me!

There’s a running theme in my favourites list so far, and a lesson to be learnt for sure. I was dragged, kicking and screaming to the cinema to see this with my college gang on the opening weekend. I told them I didn’t understand the fascination, that everyone just looked crazy, but it was an amazing experience, and also gave 2015 one of the most badass woman around, Furiosa.  I caught this one really late (still haven't managed to review it!) but I was 100% sold on the series, I am now working on getting hold of the older ones and having a marathon.  Definitely makes my Best of 2015 list.

I heard the hype for The Martian quite a while before the movie came out, and vowed to read the book before it’s release, but obviously that never happened. In fact, I only just about caught it in the cinema. With no idea what would actually happen, I was really sucked into the whole story, and never again will I take a bottle of ketchup (red sauce) for granted again! I have just recently reviewed this one and to say I enjoyed it would be an understatement, it was thoroughly entertaining and possibly my top film of the year.  Now onto the book for both of us....

How could Everest not be in this list?  I absolutely loved the film, I was tense the whole way through and couldn't relax until the credits rolled.  The location was so incredible and the IMAX made it unbelievably intense and to top it all off it was a true story so I had lots more information to read about on the internet when it was finished. I feel all cold again just thinking about this movie! It would be in my favourites list for IMAX experiences, but I don't know if it'll have the same effect when watching it at home.

Also known as the most mis-marketed movie of 2015, I didn’t watch Kingsman: The Secret Service until its DVD release at Easter. I figured it was a teens movie, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. In fact, I’ve bought a few copies of this to give as presents throughout the year, seeings as everyone seemed to have the same impression as me from the trailers.  I have seen this film at least 5 times since I originally saw it in the cinema, I loved it and it never seems to get old, the more I watch it the more I enjoy it!  I can't recommend it highly enough to people.

Another movie I had to double check actually came out this year. I remember seeing a trailer for Whiplash a long time ago, and the audience in the cinema (myself included) did a little laugh at the attempt to sell us a movie about a kid playing the drums. What I certainly wasn’t expecting was one of the most intense movies I’ve ever watched. I think I held my breath for the entire final scene without realising.  I was on the edge of my seat for the whole film, it was so intense.  I have no idea how they made the idea of a drummer and his teacher so damn terrifying and gripping, a top contender for me.

I have recommended Big Hero 6 to countless people who has shrugged and said they are not really bothered but after watching it have raved about it.  I have all my nieces and nephews doing the Baymax fist bump and watching the movie on repeat (much to their parents dismay) and I just find it hilarious.  Plus I think it had one of the most surprising cameos at the end of credits scene that made me jump out of my seat. Noooo way was this 2015! Crickey. I forgot all about Big Hero 6! Loved this when I saw it.

Ah, the movie I’ll always remember from Jenna and I attempting to pronounce in the cinema lobby! Aww memories! Ex Machina was another I wasn’t expecting to love. It’s one of those where I thought I’d worked it all out within the first half an hour or so...and then it all turned darker than I expected. I’ve been trying to get a lot of family and friends to watch this one, with very little luck so far.  Now I remember wanting to see the film from the trailer but the film I saw was not what I expected, this was so much better.  The twists and turns in the plot were brilliant and so unpredictable, I still have to watch it again to see if I can spot any clues to the way it plays out.

I’m expecting this one to be an unpopular choice, but sometimes it’s the movies you don’t expect to be good that end up being your favourites. I spent about two thirds of 2015 scoffing about how silly The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and how on earth I’m even meant to say its name out loud, but when I finally sat down to give it a chance, I was really impressed! It was definitely the humour that did it for me.  I did love this film but I don't know whether I would have listed it here if I had done this first off, I did really enjoy it but I enjoyed others just that bit more.  Looking forward to a sequel though.

I should have learnt my lesson from Guardians of the Galaxy last year, but when the Ant-Man trailers started circulating my response was pretty ‘meh’. I’ll never miss a Marvel movie though, and I obviously fell in love with it when I finally saw it. I should have known Paul Rudd wouldn’t let me down! Michael Pena is still the highlight for me though!  100% agree with this one, absolutely loved it.  Can't wait to see more of Scott Lang and his army in the Marvel films to come, what a great casting choice with Paul Rudd.

I may need to watch all the Hunger Games films again to give them all a fair shot but as it stands at the moment Mockingjay Part 2 is my favourite of the four.  The action and emotion were played out perfectly and who doesn't love Jennifer Lawrence so she had to get at least one mention! I'm gutted they are all over but so glad I enjoyed the finale so much. I really did enjoy this one, but the series got dragged out so much I was kind of just glad it was finally over.

Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

I’ve been in hiding for nearly a week now, avoiding Star Wars spoilers, but last night I finally got to experience The Force Awakens. I use the word experience because that’s truly what it was! I won’t discuss any major plot points here, but if you haven’t seen the movie yet I strongly recommend you don’t read my post (or anyone else's!) before you have, because it’s so much better walking in blind.

Have you ever tried staying away from the internet, your blog, and all social media for 5 days? It’s awful to admit, but it was so difficult! By last night though, I had to remind myself to actually bring my phone with me. It was kind of redundant at that point!

If you read my post last week, you'll know that around this time last month I started watching the Star Wars series for the first time. I’ve always been that person who grunts ‘ugh’ whenever the subject is brought up, and when my family decided that The Force Awakens had to be our Christmas movie this year, I reluctantly decided I should probably watch the movies so I at least had an idea of what was going on. What I didn’t expect was to be so sucked in by it all, or to be stood in the cinema lobby literally shaking with excitement!

Speaking of the cinema lobby...I want to publicly thank the Cineworld in Broad Street for their incredible hospitality. 4 days after the opening night I wasn’t expecting anything, but as we came up the escalator to the IMAX lobby, we were met with staff handing out posters, and 2 stormtroopers on guard duty of every door, posing for everyone and taking photos. It was incredible, and I felt like a kid again. Here are some of our photos!

Life doesn't get much better than getting a selfie with a stormtrooper...I'm just ashamed that I was so giddily happy I just grinned like an idiot!

So, let’s not talk plot, but all the things I loved about The Force Awakens. Firstly, after far too many adverts and trailers, that screen with ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away’ following by the deafening ‘Baa, badaba, ba...etc etc’ got the whole audience giddy with excitement. Everyone in that room was either being elbowed by their companion, or they were the ones lashing out with their elbows. I was one of the victims. Ouch.

Stormtroopers! Sadly, the First Order didn’t have a budget to provide them with better armour, or provide them with target practice, but they have never been cooler, and one in particular was amazing in hand to hand combat! The stormtroopers are my absolute favourites in the entire series (I tend to favour the underdogs) so I was so excited to see them again.

BB8 is the cutest little droid I’ve ever seen. I want one! Everyone should have their own little BB8. It’s quite amazing how much of a personality he has, expressed solely through beeps and the movement of his head. It was almost like a Baymax moment when he gave Finn the thumbs up!

Force powers. I felt a little worried for the smaller children when Kylo Ren used the force as a torture device, I think a 12 year old me would have a few nightmares after that. Nonetheless, my favourite moment of the whole movie might just be Rey attempting a ‘These aren’t the droids you’re looking for’ moment. It was brilliant!

Ugh, honestly I could carry on gushing, but you’ve seen it for yourself, so you know what I’m going to say. My only gripe was the fact that I left the cinema with more questions than I went in with, but all that’s really done is made me more hyped for the next movie! I’ve got over a year now of debating with anyone who will listen who Rey’s parents are.

I really don't even want to score this movie right now! I hate giving out 10s, I like to think that there's always room for improvement...but my judgement is so clouded right now. Consider this a placeholder score!