With the release of Oculus this week, and her forthcoming role as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy, former Doctor Who companion Karen Gillan is starting to make her mark on the big screen. But Amy Pond is not the only Doctor Who actor to embrace the film world. Here, I’m With Geek explores some of the best films of Doctor Who stars, both before and after their adventures in time and space.
The recently departed Eleventh Doctor starred in this made-for-television adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s autobiographic novel in the middle of his Tardis tenure. Exploring Isherwood’s experiences in Berlin during steady rise of the Nazi party in the lead-up to the Second World War, we see multiple facets to Isherwood’s character. There’s his friendship with the woman who would go on to inspire his most famous character, Sally Bowles, his introduction to the underbelly of Berlin’s gay scene by poet WH Auden, and his romance with German boy Heinz, growing under greater threat as Hitler takes control of the city. Smith’s performance is both sensitive and captivating. As was evident in Doctor Who, he throws himself wholeheartedly into the character, whether that be in Isherwood’s romanticised vision of sex, or his utter dread at the looming threat of Nazi rule.
As the I of the title (often referred to as Marwood), Eighth Doctor Paul McGann stars in the cult film to end all cult films. Withnail and I’s place on the cinema landscape is legendary: from the drinking games that have proved more dangerous than any aspect of binge drinking culture, to the endlessly quotable script. Richard E Grant (who also appeared in Doctor Who as The Great Intelligence, and as the Doctor in both Curse of the Fatal Death and Scream of the Shalka) may get the more flashy, memorable, and funnier role, but McGann anchors the film, playing the straight man to Withnail’s booze-hound, but with plenty of comedy moments of his own. One only need remember the bedroom scene with Uncle Monty to be assured of McGann’s comedy genius.
Often considered the greatest companion that never was, Carey Mulligan first grabbed our attention as Sally Sparrow, the heroine of the terrifying episode Blink. But not long after she defeated the Weeping Angels, Mulligan was Oscar nominated for her role in An Education. Starring roles in Drive, Shame, and The Great Gatsby followed, but it was this devastating drama, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro and co-starring Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield, that revealed the depths of her talent. In lesser hands, this adaptation would never compare to the stunning novel, but Mulligan performs the superb task of demonstrating Kathy’s naiveté, fear, and strength with an ease that clearly shows her as one of Britain’s finest actresses.
Christopher Eccleston was long considered one of Britain’s great actors, and his fortune-reviving turn as the Ninth Doctor is still celebrated despite his short time in the role. But a decade earlier, Eccleston was wowing audiences in Danny Boyle’s debut Shallow Grave, in which he co-starred with Ewan McGregor. As a yuppie accountant with a gradually deteriorating mental state, Eccleston lay the blueprint for what may be considered the darkest Doctor of all (see the episode Dalek for an absolutely stunning example of this), but there is enough humour evident in Shallow Grave to demonstrate how likable Eccleston could be even as a Doctor with slightly lower morals.
Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy helped to revive the show’s quality somewhat, but by this point the damage had been done and the show was cancelled in 1989. Fortunately, McCoy got another chance at geek adoration with his performance as Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit. The animal-loving wizard was not a part of the book, and it is Jackson using all Tolkien’s other materials to stretch across three films that allows for his presence. And what a good job he did too. For while Radagast’s presence may feel unnecessary at times, McCoy is a likable screen presence. The moment when Radagast desperately tries to save a dying hedgehog is actually one of the most effective scenes in An Unexpected Journey.
The problem with Tenth Doctor David Tennant’s appearance as Barty Crouch Jr in The Goblet of Fire is that he is so underused. It is a disappointment that we see so little of the character, as Tennant has unleashed his full crazy here, the likes of which have only been seen elsewhere in the episode The Waters of Mars. Often derided as one of the weaker Potters, Tennant’s unhinged performance in both the flashbacks and his reveal scene elevate some slightly lacklustre action to the levels of tension in Rowling’s book.
We are yet to see what Capaldi will do in the role of the Twelfth Doctor, but it would be remiss not to include hiss masterful and iconic character Malcolm Tucker in this big screen adaptation of The Thick of It. Tucker is so engaging a character, there will be more than one Doctor Who fan disappointed when the Doctor’s next confrontation with the Daleks isn’t peppered with sweary, metaphor-heavy insults.
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