Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Adam Driver plays the main villain of The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren, and as with Harrison Ford's review, there will be spoilers.

Kylo Ren comes into the film dressed all in black with a flowing robe, a dark mask-helmet thing, and a deep modified voice. In these early scenes you'd be forgiven for thinking he's just a Darth Vader knock-off. But don't be fooled.

Driver takes a very particular approach in the early scenes in that he does convey a significant presence but in a much different way than Darth Vader. Vader had the bearing of David Prowse and the voice of James Earl Jones, Kylo Ren has neither. The way Driver moves and talks is very interesting in that it seems like Kylo Ren is actively trying to behave like Darth Vader, rather than be his own type of villain. This is very intentional on Driver's part, and it will eventually become clear why.

One of the first indications of what type of character Kylo Ren is exactly is when he's informed of a failed plan and goes into a rage, destroying some computer equipment with his lightsaber. This scene shows that Kylo Ren is clearly emotionally unstable, at least to some degree.

As the film goes on, it's revealed that Kylo Ren is actually Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher), thus making him the grandson of Darth Vader. This is shown explicitly in a fantastic scene where Kylo Ren prays to the charred remains of Darth Vader to give him strength to fight off the light side of the force. Driver is excellent in this scene as he shows almost a desperation in Kylo Ren to erase every part of good in him.

A pivotal scene for Driver comes when Kylo Ren has Rey (Daisley Ridley) captured and is trying to get information out of her. This is the first time we see Kylo Ren unmasked, and it's a terrific moment. As soon as the helmet comes off, we Driver's face for the first time and it is the face not of a monstrous titan, but of a confused young man. Driver is terrific in this scene in that he seems to almost plead with Rey to give him her secrets, showing again almost a desperation.

Now, all of Driver's scenes up to this point are great, but there is one that stands out above the rest, and it is of course the scene between Kylo Ren and Han Solo. I already talked about Harrison Ford's great performance in this scene, and Driver matches him every step of the way.

Driver starts out showing Ben's supreme anger at Han Solo. As Han tries to reach his son, Driver is exceptional in that it seems like it may be working. Driver is actually pretty heartbreaking in showing just how conflicted Ben is with himself, although not in the way it seems at first. The truth is, Ben is being tormented by the goodness that remains in him, and he feels that Han Solo is the reason it's there. So to rid himself of whatever light may be left, Ben kills his father. This is a completely astounding moment for Driver, as he shows that by killing his father, Kylo Ren has finally freed himself from any light that may have been left within him. I should also quickly mention how amazing it is that in this one scene, Driver and Ford completely manage to show the entire history of their relationship.

This is a very interesting and extremely clever performance by Adam Driver, as he portrays Kylo Ren not as a ruthless monster, but rather a confused and angry young man.

Rating: 4.5/5

Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The Force Awakens is a wonderful addition to the Star Wars saga. It technically may be a little too reminiscent of the original film, but I don't really care because I thoroughly enjoy every second of it.





Harrison Ford of course returns as Han Solo, and I must say right off bat that there will be spoilers in this review, although you really should have seen the movie by this point.

Ford first appears in the film as he stumbles upon Fin (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) hiding away in the Millennium Falcon. This is a fantastic scene as Ford burst on the scene poised like the action hero we know Han Solo to be. His immortal delivery of the line "Chewie, we're home" is absolutely wonderful as he lets the audience feel the same nostalgic joy that Han is feeling in that moment. After this, he discovers Fin and Rey hiding out and he becomes the Han Solo we remember from the previous films. Ford is exceptional in this regard as he seems so comfortable to the point that that you almost forget that he hasn't played this part in several decades.

Now I must say, as with his previous portrayals of Han Solo (my favourite Star Wars character, for the record) Ford is just an absolute blast to watch here. He is basically charisma incarnate as he is so charming while at the same time being, frankly, a snarky wise-ass. This aspect is the same as the previous film, but I find it especially enjoyable here.

There's more to his performance than just that though, as we must not forget that is an older, wiser Han Solo. In effect, Han plays the role of mentor to Fin and Rey, much in the same way that Ob-Wan was the mentor to Luke. Ford is excellent in this aspect because  he doesn't betray the character of Han, in fact he portrays him exactly how you'd imagine him as a mentor. Ford presents sort of an outward reluctance and annoyance in his role as mentor, but it's made clear through mostly brief moments, that this is only on the outside. One of my favourite moments of Ford's performance is when he tells Fin and Rey that all the stories they've been told are true. Ford in this one scene shows just how much the previous films have changed him. Where he was once a man who believed that "hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster by your side", he is now freely willing to admit that "it's true. All of it."

Some of Ford's best scenes are his interactions with his wife Leia (Carrie Fisher, of course). Ford is brilliant in these scenes as he shows the entire history of their relationship since Jedi through just the way he interacts with her.

Here's where the spoilers begin. It's revealed that the main villain of the film, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is in fact Han and Leia's son Ben. Anytime Han and Leia discuss their son, Ford is incredible in that he shows a deep love for his son and at the same time a deep regret that he couldn't keep him from turning to the dark side. This all leads to what is perhaps the best scene in the film.

The scene I'm referring to is of course when Han finally confronts his son. Ford and Driver actually only share this one scene in the entire film, but that's all that's needed. Ford is absolutely amazing throughout this entire scene as Han tries one last time to reach through to his son. Ford is heartbreaking as he shows that even though it's probably a lost cause, Han still has hope that some good remains in his son. This is of course shattered when Ben murders Han. Ford's reaction here is absolutely flawless in that more than any physical pain he's feeling, he shows that Han is heartbroken that he could not save his son.

This is an absolutely fantastic performance from Harrison Ford as he's not only the Han Solo we know and love from the previous films, he manages to go further than that and give a complete portrait of this man who's gone through so much. After so many years of phoning it in, it's so good to see that Ford still has it in him to give a great performance.

Rating: 5/5

Jason Bateman in The Gift

The Gift is an extremely effective thriller about a married couple Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) who are frequently visited by Gordo (Joel Edgerton), someone from Simon's past.


Jason Bateman is best known for comedy, in particular his absolutely hilarious work on Arrested Development. That is not the case here, though, as The Gift is not a comedy by any stretch of the imagination. The early set up of this character is fairly simple. Simon and his wife are moving into a new home, and everything seems fairly normal. Until he has a run-in with Gordo, who he knew in high school. Bateman is terrific in this scene, as at first he tries to carry on a conversation with a man he has no recollection of. When Simon remembers Gordo, it's a great moment as Bateman portrays it almost a reluctance to keep talking to him.

After this scene, it's clear that there's some kind of history between them, but it's not yet clear what. It becomes slightly clearer when Gordo has dinner with Simon and Robyn. Bateman is fascinating in this scene, in that he shows Simon trying to be just a good host, but is increasingly irritated by Gordo's stories about Simon. When Simon turns the tables and asks Gordo about his life, Bateman portrays a very strong harshness as if he doesn't want to dwell on his own past.  This is the first indication that something not so great happened between the two.

One of the first full indications of who Simon really is is when he and Robyn are invited to Gordo's house for dinner. After Gordo leaves abruptly, he leaves Simon and Robyn there alone. This is a fantastic scene for Bateman as Simon starts to mock Gordo about wanting to sleep with Robyn. Bateman is terrific in this scene as he shows a complete venom coming from Simon, and his mocking of Gordo becomes quite frankly childish.

After this scene, Simon cuts off ties with Gordo, and this is where the crux of Bateman's performance lies. Bateman portrays Simon as a very close-minded jerk of a person, who wants nothing at all to do with Gordo, despite his wife being very convinced that Gordo is harmless. Bateman flawlessly portrays the stubbornness in Simon as he acts as if he has achieved the moral high ground, although he did this through questionable means.

A great scene for Bateman comes when Robyn passes out due to taking pills. Bateman is extremely effective in the scene where Simon confronts Robyn at first seeming genuinely concerned for her well-being but perhaps being a bit too forceful about it, to the point where he won't even let Robyn speak.

I have to mention quickly that there's gonna be *SPOILERS* from here on out, because I have to talk about certain plot elements that are essential to Bateman's performance. The truth is revealed that Simon bullied Gordo in high school, starting a rumour that essentially ruined Gordo's life. The scene where Robyn confronts Simon about his behaviour, Bateman is absolutely brilliant in revealing just how much of a bully he really was, and still is, as Simon angrily spouts on about how nothing is his fault, and how Gordo needs to move on with his life. Bateman is actually quite hard to watch here, as he so realistically portrays this kind of bully.

Another exceptional scene comes when he goes to apologize to Gordo. Bateman at first offers a semi-genuine apology, although there is the hint that Simon's just doing this for himself more than anything. When Gordo refuses to accept Simon's apology, Bateman is brilliant as he suddenly turns into a schoolyard bully once again and starts attacking Gordo for simply not accepting his apology. Once again, it's very difficult to watch Bateman here, as he is almost too real.

This all leads to the climax of the film, where Gordo sends Simon one final gift, a video tape suggesting he may have done something horrible to get back at Simon. Bateman is quite frankly astonishing in this scene, as he shows how completely destroyed Simon is by the footage on the tape. What's especially amazing here is that Bateman manages to be heartbreaking despite the fact that we've seen just how terrible of a person Simon is.

Jason Bateman gives an absolutely amazing performance here, by being so painfully realistic in his portrayal of a bully, but also managing to be very moving in showing how this man's life has been destroyed by his actions.

Rating: 5/5