Starter for 10 (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jan Marc M

  
  A young James McAvoy delivers in Starter For 10, a slightly cliched romance-comedy feature.

• Alice S

  
  What's not to love about a nebbish, made-under James McAvoy with daddy issues? As with Rachel Weisz, I prefer Rebecca Hall's American accent to her own British.

• Jakey L

  
  This is the one movie the cliches of a romcom can be completely forgiven as the adaptation of David Nicholls' own novel still imparts its conventional wit and characterization that completely worked out with the script and its genre. It's a bit shy on its dramatic aspect but… More
  This is the one movie the cliches of a romcom can be completely forgiven as the adaptation of David Nicholls' own novel still imparts its conventional wit and characterization that completely worked out with the script and its genre. It's a bit shy on its dramatic aspect but there's its romantic moments and comic scenes that stood out and that distinguishes itself from other romcom flicks.

• Jim H

  
  How could I dislike a film with this many Cure songs? I was impressed by McAvoy's comic timing, which doesn't come through in a lot of his other work. There were also some nice, charming moments as McAvoy attempts to make his way in academe. But as a whole, the film is… More
  How could I dislike a film with this many Cure songs? I was impressed by McAvoy's comic timing, which doesn't come through in a lot of his other work. There were also some nice, charming moments as McAvoy attempts to make his way in academe. But as a whole, the film is remarkably predictable, and it checks off almost all of the motifs of a coming-of-age, rom-dramedy. Despite all its flaws, there are many fun, eighties-tastic moments.

• Conner R

  
  A great story and acted perfectly by James McAvoy. It is an incredibly charming film with almost no examples of weak points. It is fairly original and manages to stay away from the obvious cliches. It has a lot of emotional resonance and depth, something lacking in a lot of comedies.

• Film C

  
  wow this movie is quite liked, but i thought this movie was just boring and fairly crap. It wasnt funny, the storyline was predictable and its the same as many other movies that have been done! James McAvoy isnt on top form for this movie really i dont think it was the right role… More
  wow this movie is quite liked, but i thought this movie was just boring and fairly crap. It wasnt funny, the storyline was predictable and its the same as many other movies that have been done! James McAvoy isnt on top form for this movie really i dont think it was the right role for him and catherine tate, shes a comedian and a funny one so why wasnt she funny in this movie, a missed opportunity in my book! Just a boring movie nnot worth watching!

• Anthony L

  
  An average film, I'm not a big fan of McAvoy though.

• Eliza N

  
  Hmmm......This movie is really predictable but funny.It maybe doesn't deserve 3.5 stars but is worth watching it if you really adore James McAvoy(as I do) because he seems really young,fresh and yummy..........

• jay n

  
  Sporadically interesting but the main character is both wimpy and kind of a jerk so its difficult to feel much of anything for him.

• Ross C

  
  A group of Bristol students forming a University Challenge team provides a nostalgic return to university life in the 80s. A pleasant but fairly unremarkable romantic drama.

• Summer W

  
  An endearing little slice of 80's nostalgia with another great performance by James McAvoy.

• Red L

  
  I liked this movie. Of course it is similar to some other teen movies - parents are dumb, learn about life at university, etc. I enjoyed the British take on it.

• Nicki M

  
  Liked this one a lot - I like anything with an 80's theme, generally, but this actually is very likeable and has some funny bits to it.

• Bannan i

  
  Review TBA.

• Shauna R

  
  I had high expectations of this film because I had read the book and it was a very entertaining and funny read. Okay, it wasn't as good as the book but still watchable, the odd laugh here and there. A good performance from James McAvoy, I couldn't fault him. I'd never… More
  I had high expectations of this film because I had read the book and it was a very entertaining and funny read. Okay, it wasn't as good as the book but still watchable, the odd laugh here and there. A good performance from James McAvoy, I couldn't fault him. I'd never seen him in a comedic role and still he was very charming. A fun feel-good film, not your average romantic comedy because it's more about his college life than his love life but both are combined, so it contains a unique type of humour. Plus it has a fantastic soundrack, I liked the constant use of The Cure. I recommend the book more than the film, a lot of good parts were unfortunately left out.

• Michael S

  
  One of those little, sefl-congratulatory, "I'm smarter than you" films that I really can't stand too much. I really don't get either why everyone loves, as of lately, James McAvoy. He has almost no charisma in this leading role ( and in THE LAST KING OF… More
  One of those little, sefl-congratulatory, "I'm smarter than you" films that I really can't stand too much. I really don't get either why everyone loves, as of lately, James McAvoy. He has almost no charisma in this leading role ( and in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND). Let's see how he does in ATONEMENT.

• Rico Z

  
  This movie was definitely a starter for 10, but it stalled out at about number 7. An average fair when it comes to British romantic comedies. There really wasn't anything original or terribly creative about the film's plot, style or general concept...but it was light and… More
  This movie was definitely a starter for 10, but it stalled out at about number 7. An average fair when it comes to British romantic comedies. There really wasn't anything original or terribly creative about the film's plot, style or general concept...but it was light and enjoyable enough to merit three stars. The acting was great and the dialogue engaging. The characters were pretty well-fleshed-out. Basically, the story of a young man with a passion for knowledge loses his bearings when getting into a prestigious university that's out of his league. There, he meets people who aren't a thing like him and begins to grow apart from the friends he knew back home. The film explores many subjects: loss of a loved one; first true love; ethics in competition and even a bit of a social commentary pertaining to Britain's class structure in the mid-80s. It's all a bit too much for such a light film. But, having said that, I still recommend it as a fluffy piece for a rainy day or a second date (when watching just an average date movie won't hurt your chances of making a good first impression.)

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]"Starter for 10" begins with Brian(James McAvoy) matriculating in 1985 to Bristol University away from his doting mother(Catherine Tate) and old friends in the seaside village he calls home. Upon arriving at his college housing, he finds two men playing… More
  [font=Century Gothic]"Starter for 10" begins with Brian(James McAvoy) matriculating in 1985 to Bristol University away from his doting mother(Catherine Tate) and old friends in the seaside village he calls home. Upon arriving at his college housing, he finds two men playing table tennis in women's lingerie. There is a very good reason for this of course which turns out to be a Vicars and Tarts party that night. There, he is rescued by Rebecca(Rebecca Hall), an activist, from a highly unpleasant situation but he gets so inebriated that he barely remembers her the next morning when he is late to a meeting for the university quiz club where he barely loses out to Alice(Alice Eve) in making the team...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Starter for 10" is a sweet romantic comedy about how knowledge does not necessarily equal wisdom and the awkwardness of adjusting to a new setting for the first time. So evocative is the movie of its time and place that I kept expecting a vinyl vs. cassette debate to happen any minute.(Despite being on the other side of the Atlantic, I was also reminded of a couple of embarrassing incidents from my own college days.) And I do appreciate that it portrayed a socialist and an activist in a positive light.(Of all the causes mentioned in the movie, the anti-Apartheid protests resonate with me the most.) But along with all the facts, it would have been nice to get some ideas into the mix, too. It is college, after all. [/font]

• Cameron J

  
  Having just seen "Beastly", another teen flick, I can honestly say that it is a putrid, disgusting heap of rancid, vile garbage. I wasn't going to compare it to this movie or anything, I just had to get out some adjectives I missed in my review. But seriously though,… More
  Having just seen "Beastly", another teen flick, I can honestly say that it is a putrid, disgusting heap of rancid, vile garbage. I wasn't going to compare it to this movie or anything, I just had to get out some adjectives I missed in my review. But seriously though, this might be that film's polar opposite. Not just because it's under a different subgenre of teen flick and is remotely bearable, but because it's not completely lowering itself to its genre's tropes. Note that I said "not 'completely'". It does step out a bit, but does still fall back into the cliches and when it does, it falls hard, featuring a hot-girl-or-relateable-female-friend storyline, corny score, cheesiness, predictability, familiar character types and crammed-in mainstream music. If that's not bad enough, the film mostly features the cheesy teen soundtrack of the '80s, the last generation of mostly good music. What a waste. The film's own flaws include occasional slowness, narrative underusage and some inconsistant character focus. In spite of this, the film mostly stands above its genre, thanks to its featuring cleverness and more multi-dimensional characters. Its own pros include snappy editing, neat camerawork, a good pace and likeable characters. Also, the film's snappy writing make most of the jokes really hit home. Of course, as effective as it is comedically, it does find itself treading some deeper paths. When the drama rolls in, it really feels serious and compelling. For this, we have to once again thank the fine writing, as well as the decent acting, especially from McAvoy, who really carries the film and shows that even in his earlier comedic work, he had the potential to be the truly competent performer he is now. In conclusion, "Starter for 10" doesn't fall far from its genre's Hallmark tree, but still features snappy writing and a mildly refreshing feel, leaving it to stand out as a moderately offbeat, heartwarming and genuinely entertaining coming-of-age rom-com.

• Theta S

  
  Set in 1985, "Starter For 10", based on the novel by David Nicholls, is the story of Brian Jackson who leaves his working class roots to embark upon his first year at Bristol University. Brian is obsessed with acquiring knowledge and the television programme University… More
  Set in 1985, "Starter For 10", based on the novel by David Nicholls, is the story of Brian Jackson who leaves his working class roots to embark upon his first year at Bristol University. Brian is obsessed with acquiring knowledge and the television programme University Challenge. When the opportunity arises for Brian to join the University's quiz team and "take the Challenge", he meets the beautiful Alice and falls in "like" with her. Alongside this, Brian befriends Rebecca, a student who's a political/conscience activist. Throughout the film, Brian has to learn some important life lessons - the importance of your friends and family and ask himself some questions that even Bamber Gascoigne couldn't ask like whether he should fall for the gorgeous but shallow Alice or the equally beautiful and more aware Rebecca. I didn't know what to expect from this film as it was touted as either a rom-com or a coming of age comedy. Well, I would honestly have to say both. James McEvoy makes a charming lead in the form of Brian. The character is clever, but clueless about women and McEvoy pulls this off without making Brian look stupid. His two leading ladies, Alice portrayed by Alice Eve and Rebecca portrayed by Rebecca Hall, perform the function that they are written for - to provide a physical sense of conflict to match the conflict within Brian's character. The external battle is Brian's fascination for the shallow Alice and the character of Rebecca, who Brian is more in tune with. Brian's internal conflict is whether he should fully embrace his university life or retain the links to the roots from where he has come from. There is a great set of British character actors in the supporting cast, Dominic Cooper and James Corden (who starred in the film version of The History Boys around this time), Charles Dance, Lindsey Duncan, Catherine Tate and Mark Gatiss giving a very good impersonation of legendary University Challenge host, Bamber Gascoigne. Last and by no means least of the supporting cast is Benedict Cumberbatch giving a funny and deliberately annoying performance as the captain of the quiz team, Patrick. The character is riddled with pomposity, a simmering jealousy and a lack of tact and diplomacy which causes him to come to blows twice in the film to great comic effect. "Starter For 10" isn't a comedy that going to break new ground, the main plot is too predictable for that. It also isn't the type of comedy which has big belly laughs. However, if you like a gentle comedy with some decent acting in it, please try it on your rental list.

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