“The Dead Don’t Die.” “The Report.” “Marriage Story.” “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” 2019 has quickly become the year of Adam Driver. And Even with three of those Movies still to be released, and with Martin Scorsese in attendance to hand out one of Telluride’s silver medallions to Driver this weekend, whilst also calling him ‘the greatest actor of his generation’. Just how did he become one of the finest actors working today.
It has been a meteoric rise for Driver since he entered public consciousness as one of the standout characters on Lena Dunham’s hit HBO show “Girls”. In the show Driver played the aptly named ‘Adam Sackler’, a crazy, mercurial, and depth ridden character, who Driver breathed life into, and in doing so scored himself three Emmy nominations. The start of things to come. Those of you out there unfamiliar with ‘Girls’, I suggest if not watching it then to search up the scene in which Driver and Jemima Kirke’s ‘Jessa’, turn an argument into all out war. A Fantastic scene, and a sign of what would follow from the now Oscar nominated and highly sort after leading man.
His work in “Girls” was no doubt what drew the eyes of Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, and director J.J Abrams when they set about casting the leads for the seventh instalment in the Skywalker saga. Something that would leave Driver with no choice but to be thrust into the public eye front and centre, as Star Wars’ new villain. Undoubtedly the best thing about episodes seven and eight of the franchise, he brings with him the conflicted nature and depth on display in ‘Girls’ and proved it could work on the big screen. He seems to add layer after layer to Kylo Ren whenever he’s on screen and will no doubt do so again when the franchise wraps up this December.
However, the seeds were already planted for Driver’s jump to critical darling. A short but tantalisingly sweet performance in highly underrated Coen brothers classic “inside Llewyn Davis,” was followed by strong supporting roles in 2014’s “Hungry Hearts,” “This Is Where I Leave You”, and “While We’re Young”, two of which received middling reviews but praised Driver’s sheer craftsmanship on screen.
But it would be a 2016 double header that would give Driver his best reviews to date.
Losing 51 pounds to play a 17th century Portuguese Missionary in Martin Scorsese’s near 50-year passion project “Silence” would appear to be prime conditions for a career best performance, as Driver was quite frankly heart-breaking as the supporting cog to Andrew Garfield’s lead. However, it would be the little advertised, and little known about ‘Paterson’ that would steal the limelight from his turn in Scorsese’s picture. Jim Jarmusch’s intricate tale of a mundane bus driver whose passion for poetry takes the film to unexpected places, gave Driver his best ever responses, with the likes of IndieWire’s Eric Kohn calling it “unquestionably his finest performance to date”, whilst also stating how he was the “perfect vessel to carry the movie’s nuanced focus”.
Following what many (myself included) describe as an Oscar snub for his role in Jarmusch’s subtle offering, he would then take a step back into the comedy drama genre that saw his career ignite. This time however it was on the big screen. Directed by the genius Steven
Soderbergh and acting opposite Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig, Driver was sarcastically wonderful as ‘Clyde Logan’ the one handed brother of Tatum’s ‘Jimmy’, proving yet again how genres/type casting is not a problem for Driver, as he has operated since his big screen debut, like he posesses chameleon like qualities that allow him to (much like his director for “Logan Lucky”) transcend genres.
Fast forward to 2018 and it’s yet another of histories biggest director’s that snaps Driver up for his latest project. This time in the shape of Spike Lee, with “BlacKkKlansman,” a story based on the true events of an African-American cop infiltrating the KkK. Driver played Flip Zimmerman, the face of the operation whenever first hand contact was needed. His mix of sheer nerves, professionalism, and captivating screen presence led him to his first Oscar nomination (for supporting actor). Whilst his list of directors he’s worked with now reads as a roll-call of some of the finest to ever step foot behind the camera.
And now we arrive at September 2019. Following a year in which Driver has already appeared in another Jarmusch film, ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ and in which twitter exploded with love for Driver after one simple word in the trailer. “Ghouls” With his distinct tone adding a huge degree of hilarity to even a single word.
Whilst of course he will be donning the Kylo Ren helmet one final time this Christmas, and starring in Scott.Z Burns’ true adaptation of events surrounding the investigation into the CIA’s detention and interrogation programme post 9/11 (for which he has already gained a wave of favourable reviews following its debut at Sundance) , it is his third time around with director Noah Baumbach, that really has people talking. Having pulled out a star supporting turn opposite Greta Gerwig in Baumbach’s “Frances Ha,” plus in 2014’s ‘While We’re Young’, Driver reunites with Baumbach for Netflix’s ‘Marriage Story’. By far (alongside Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite”) the most critically acclaimed Movie of the festival season so far, Driver plays ‘Charlie’ in what has been called a ‘funny, scalding, and stirring’ (Variety) piece on love, loss, divorce, and seemingly just human nature as a whole. It also looks increasingly likely that Driver will go two for two as far as Academy nominations are concerned, as he looks certain to be in the lead pack for the Best Actor award come next February. An incredible achievement, again for someone who was considered ‘up and coming’ only five years ago.
And after being honoured at Telluride for his work, there is seemingly no doubt which way his career is headed for the foreseeable future. An actor blessed with raw, earthy talent, and who picks his projects (that aren’t Star Wars) in a careful manner ala Leonardo DiCaprio.
‘The Report’ hits theatres November 15th before landing on Amazon Prime Video on the 29th. Whilst ‘Marriage Story’ will hit Cinemas in limited release on November 6th before being dropped on streaming giant Netflix on December 6th. And your Adam Driver late year fix won’t stop there as ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ opens just 14 days later on December 20th.
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