Proud
If you haven’t seen it Proud, stop what you’re doing and put it on immediately. Based on the incredible true story of the lesbian and gay activists who supported families suffering from the 1984 British miners’ strike, the film is as heartwarming as it gets. The outstanding cast is a who’s who of top-notch British talent (Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy and Joseph Gilgun to name a few) and Considine is a safe pair of hands as Dai Donovan, a men’s union leader and a true leader for the community at Breaking down long-held prejudices. He may be outshined in entertainment by an incredible performance from an exuberant Dominic West, but he’s as wonderful as ever in this life-affirming crowd pleaser.
How to build a girl
Another mainstay of Considine are “the dear fathers of the people”. How to build a girl, the film based on Caitlin Moran’s semi-autobiographical novel, might be the pinnacle of that. He plays the father of young music journalist Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein). While the film follows Johanna’s journey from creative, ambitious teenager to asshole critic and back, a touching line is her betrayal of her father (who dreams of becoming a musician himself) and his tireless support for her. Considine is funny and personable and always well worth seeing. Variations on the above involve protective and broken father in otherwise awful teenage grief porn Now is good and flirtatious New Age guru neighbor Submarine.
Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee
Considine actually has a long history with music, including a stint in a band with Shane Meadows, so he’s perfect as Le Donk, a roadie and failed musician (we’re not suggesting that Considine himself “failed” musically, to be clear say) who mentors young rapper Scor-zay-zee and is generally a bit of a jerk. With the meaning of This is spinal tap, it’s a mockumentary starring Shane Meadows playing himself as the director and the Artic Monkeys also appearing and performing. Le Donk is weird, misguided, stubborn and a pretty terrible ex-partner to his pregnant ex-girlfriend Olivia (Olivia Colman). Still, it’s actually a redeeming journey, and a very funny one at that, culminating with a killer performance from Scor-zay-zee and a bizarre one from Le Donk, singing, “Just calm down Deirdre Barlow, just calm down Stephen Hawkings, just calm down Tinky Winky, just calm down Mork and Mindy…”
In America
Though his co-stars Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou got Oscar nominations for their performances in In America, Considine shines as a grieving father trying to rebuild his family in Jim Sheridan’s semi-autobiographical tearjerker. Johnny Sullivan (Considine) travels to America with his wife Sarah (Morton) and their two daughters (amazing performances by young actresses Sarah Bolger and Emma Bolger) after the death of his son Frankie via Canada on a tourist visa. The loss of Frankie dominates as the family tries to make a fresh start in New York, and Considine’s performance is tight and tense as he tries to provide for his family and manage his own grief. Like many of Considine’s roles, it’s not a breezy watch, but it’s wonderful (cloths recommended for viewing).
hot fuzz
The second in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy, hot fuzz has established itself as a British comedy classic since its release in 2007. We’re all familiar with the plot by now (but for a refresher): PC Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a cop fished out of the water and sent to rural Gloucestershire, and partners with incompetent PC Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). Fairly soon after his arrival, local residents are crushed and Angel attempts to solve the murders with the help of (initially reluctant) local police, including Considine as one of “Andy’s” detectives. “It’s okay Andy, it’s just Bolognese!” can take the crown for best line-in hot fuzz; shouted Considine during a supermarket shootout while the other “Andy” Rafe Spall tries to avenge his partner’s (Dolmio) injuries. See also The end of the worldwhere he rejoins Pegg, Frost and Wright on an extraordinary pub crawl.
Peaky Blinders
Like most Peaky Blinders Villains, Series 3’s father John Hughes is no subtle creation. (Also see: Adrien Brody’s Italian match-chewing gangster and landscapes in Series 4.) Nonetheless, Considine manages to ground his obnoxious character in a performance grounded in quiet self-assurance. Hughes, an Irish pedophile priest with friends in high places, symbolizes the rot in the establishment that Tommy Shelby was – at the time – still trying to join. few inside Peaky Blinders can brag about shaking Tommy, but Father Hughes does when he casually announces that he and his MP acquaintance will visit the Shelby Orphanage after hours to visit the “little creatures”. He also requires keys to the house and a private office on the premises. With a soft Irish accent (Considine’s father was Irish), Father Hughes represents the worst representative of the Catholic Church and one of the Shelby family’s meanest antagonists.
