R.I.P Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths 1947-2013

Rest In Peace Richard Griffiths. He was and still is one of Britain's best talents, performing on both stage and screen. I know he'll be missed  and greatly remembered as he was unique. There will be many a casting director who will say "Richard Griffiths would be perfect for that part" and be stuck! There is simply no one like him. Whenever I watched him in a film or on TV he would be the star presence of the screen. He had the talent of making you feel as though you knew him when you didn't, you were friends with him when you weren't, and like you could call him up for a chat as if you had known him all your life.
For anyone who doesn't know me, I'm a pretty huge Harry Potter fan, so yes, for me and many other people Uncle Vernon has passed - hence the twitter trend #RaiseyourwandforRichardGriffiths
However, I have not missed out on his acting talent in such films as The History Boys, Sleepy Hollow, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Ballet Shoes and of course, Withnail & I. All of which are on my long list of amazing films. (I'm not lying - I really do have one!) Annoyingly, I was only Two when Pie in the Sky ended.
I'm sure he was a pleasure to work with, as actor and co-star on stage and screen, Daniel Radcliffe said "any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever...I'm Proud to say I knew him" I wish I could say the same.
I noticed on Twitter today a couple of people tweeting along the lines of "R.I.P Richard Griffiths. I must watch some of his stuff now!" I'm glad his work is being all the more appreciated, however I wish it was so before he passed. Its a shame it has taken the worst to happen for some people to watch his craft.
He was always destined to go down in acting history and he definitely will. No One will forget you Richard, I'll make sure of it. x

How do I Define History...Boys?

The History Boys (2006)

Set in 1980s Britain, a group of eight extremely talented boys are taught by two eccentric teachers on the way into Oxford and Cambridge to read History.
I made the stupid mistake of watching this film whilst in themiddle of an essay for school, meaning I wasn't focussing much on the film itself which I regret. When the boys went to their interviews was when I put my essay aside and focussed on the ending, realising 'actually I should've watched the whole of this'.
Nicholas Hytner has directed one of those films which you have to focus on to truly appreciate, and which you then go away forcing all your family to watch it with you again. (This is what I'll be doing!) However, we can not ignore the INGENIOUS writing which is that of British gold, Alan Bennett. Previous to this I had only ever seen and read Talking Heads for my English Literature A-Level.I found the monologues quite funny, but not nearly as funny as this relatable classic.
Sometimes it's hard to bring Plays off the stage and in front of a camera, but this adaptation seems, at first glance, pretty flawless; "A triumphant crossover from stage to screen"(Phillip French) - plus its funny to see James Corden and Dominic Cooper in their youth.
Without meaning to sound like a joke, the best part was the ending. Firstly the twist involving Hector (Richard Griffiths) was unforeseeable as I thought the film had ended the scene before. But the best part was the revealing of the boys adult lives. It was such a simple and non-over the top way of showcasing their adulthood - like something of an a-level drama play - yet it worked so well!
Again the cast list was pretty damn awesome!! Definite must see.
Favourite Quote: "How do I define history? It's just one f***in' thing after another."