Starter for 10
Reviews
John Chard
Sometimes it's not about knowing the right answer. Starter for 10 is directed by Tom Vaughan and adapted to screenplay by David Nicholls from his own novel of the same name. It stars James McAvoy, Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall, Dominic Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Catherine Tate and Elaine Tan. Music is by Blake Neely and cinematography by Ashley Rowe. Set in 1985 England, working-class student Brian Jackson (McAvoy) navigates his first year at Bristol University - which lends him the opportunity to feature on his favourite ever TV Quiz Show - University Challenge. I have never read the book so have no frame of reference there, thus the complaints from devotees of the written source are null and void to me. For I absolutely loved this film, a fresh and breezy coming of age comedy that's tinted with dramatic intelligence. How nice to have a pic of this genre ilk that's not built around trying to lose one's virginity, or standing up to bullies etc. For sure there's a whole load of angst on show, a bit of class distinction dichotomy, the perils of formative fumbling romances, and of course whimsy. Yet the framework of education, the thirst for knowledge and an understanding of the problems evident in the world at time of pic's setting, all make this a smarter than your average bear British rites of passage piece. Cast are on splendid form to make the multidimensional characters work (each main character moves away from being mere caricatures). McAvoy is splendidly affable as Brian, who is still nursing the loss of his father years previously, and then has to watch as his mother (Tate) takes a lover - the local ice-cream man (John Henshaw). It's no easier at University, where he lusts after the blonde bomber (Eve) when in fact he obviously should cop on to the fact that the girl for him is bleeding heart socialist Rebecca Epstein (Hall) - but she isn't the quiz type! McAvoy has a good comedy way about him, gawkish but lovable and perfect when portraying Brian out of his depth in certain scenarios. Of the others it's Cumberbatch who steals the show as Patrick Watts, an absolute toff, an upper class twit who has no comprehension of the working class system and the perils within that structure. He is burned by his miserable failure on University Challenge the previous year, his inadequacies and stubborness blinding him to the benefits that others around him can afford him. The facial expressions, the posh vocab speak and the need to be in charge are brought vividly to comic life by Cumberbatch. Eve smoulders as Alice, but deftly plays her vulnerabilities, Hall has her character down pat, while Cooper, Tate and James Corden leave favourable marks. As do Charles Dance and Lindsay Duncan in unforgettable scenes as Alice's parents. The whole play is covered over with an 80s soundtrack, mixing student favourites with punky pop tunes, while the period detail for Brian's home life prior to going to University (Southend-On-Sea) has been given great nostalgic thought. A lot of the humour is sure to be too British for none UK folk, more so those not familiar with what the mid 1980s were like in Britain, while it has to be acknowledged that where the story ends up holds no surprises. Yet this holds many pleasures for the right audience, so fingers on the button and see if you get this starter for 10.
RalphRahal
Starter for 10 is a fun and entertaining movie, and it’s even better because it stars three of my favorite actors—James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alice Eve. James is great as Brian Jackson, a college student trying to fit in at university and make it onto the "University Challenge" quiz team. He really nails the mix of awkwardness and ambition, making his character super relatable. Benedict is hilarious as the overly serious team captain, and Alice Eve adds a lot of charm as Brian’s crush. The cast really makes this movie shine, even if the story itself is pretty predictable. It’s your classic coming-of-age tale, but it’s done in such a fun way with a lot of humor and heart. The soundtrack and 1980s vibe give it a nostalgic feel, and while it’s not perfect, it’s just one of those movies that’s really enjoyable to watch. If you love these actors like I do, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Movie Recommendation
Paolo Borsellino: The 57 Days2012-05-22Alberto Negrin directs this Italian drama starring Luca Zingaretti (well known Italian actor from the TV series Inspector Montalbano). The film traces the 57 days after the assassination of his friend and fellow anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone when Paolo Borsellino (Zingaretti) must come to terms with his own inescapable destiny.More...
HIV - The Musical2009-10-22James wrote a play. Myles made it gay.More...
Third Star2010-06-01James and his three closest lifelong friends go on an ill-advised trip to the stunning coastal area of Barafundle Bay in West Wales. What follows is a touching and comical adventure dealing with friendship, heroism and love.More...
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus2002-10-23A boy witnesses his mother kissing what he believes to be is the real Santa Clause and retaliates with mischief.More...
Journeyman2018-03-30A boxer suffers a serious head injury during a fight, and must deal with the consequences.More...
Romero1989-08-25Romero is a compelling and deeply moving look at the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, who made the ultimate sacrifice in a passionate stand against social injustice and oppression in his county. This film chronicles the transformation of Romero from an apolitical, complacent priest to a committed leader of the Salvadoran people.More...
Incendiary2008-01-20A woman's life is torn apart when her husband and infant son are killed in a suicide bombing at a soccer match.More...
The Bad Education Movie2015-08-21Mr Wickers and his class go on one final school trip after they finish their GCSEs.More...
The Last Station2009-09-04A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things. The Countess Sofya, wife and muse to Leo Tolstoy, uses every trick of seduction on her husband's loyal disciple, whom she believes was the person responsible for Tolstoy signing a new will that leaves his work and property to the Russian people.More...
Snow Cake2006-09-08A drama focused on the friendship between a high-functioning autistic woman and a man who is traumatized after a fatal car accident.More...
Kids in Love2016-08-26Drifting through his gap year with its internships and travel plans, Jack has always suspected there was more to life than this. A chance encounter with the beautiful and ethereal Evelyn swerves his life radically off course.More...
Brassed Off1996-11-01A Yorkshire coal mine is threatened with closure and the only hope is for the men to enter their Grimley Colliery Brass Band into a national competition. They believe they have no hope until Gloria appears carrying her Flugelhorn. At first mocked for being a woman, she soon becomes the only chance for the band to win.More...
Hawking2004-12-10The story of Professor Stephen Hawking's early years. It is 1963, and our young cosmologist celebrates his 21st birthday. At the party is a new friend, Jane Wilde - there is a strong attraction between the two. Jane is intrigued by Stephen's talk of stars and the Universe. But she realises that there is something very wrong when Stephen suddenly finds that he is unable to stand up.More...
Kindergarten Cop 22016-05-18Assigned to recover sensitive stolen data, a gruff FBI agent goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher, but the school's liberal, politically correct environment is more than he bargained for.More...
Local Hero1983-02-17An American oil company sends a man to Scotland to buy up an entire village where they want to build a refinery. But things don't go as expected.More...
Love and Other Disasters2006-09-09Flighty Emily "Jacks" Jackson works for the British edition of Vogue magazine. Rather than pursue a relationship, Jacks regularly hooks up with her devoted ex-boyfriend, James Wildstone, and lives with Peter Simon, a gay screenwriter. When Jacks meets Argentinian photographer's assistant Paolo Sarmiento, she assumes he is gay and tries to bring him and Peter together, unaware that Paolo is straight and in love with her.More...
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them2014-05-14A New York couple's relationship is tested after the loss of their child. This film is the wide-released combination of the original two :him and :her volumes that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.More...
Less Than Zero1987-11-06A college freshman returns to Los Angeles for Christmas at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.More...
Blithe Spirit2020-11-10A spiritualist medium holds a seance for a writer suffering from writers block but accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife which leads to an increasingly complex love triangle with his current wife of five years.More...
The Last Kiss2006-09-10Michael has a great job, has his 4 best friends, and is in love with a beautiful girl at 30. He loves Jenna but his life seems predictable until someone else enters his life. It seems that everybody's having relationship problems.More...
Similar Movies
Ben-Hur
1959-11-18In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners.Pearl Harbor
2001-05-21The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.Pulp Fiction
1994-09-10A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.Manhattan
1979-04-25Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.Annie Hall
1977-04-19New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall.Finding Forrester
2000-12-21Gus Van Sant tells the story of a young African American man named Jamal who confronts his talents while living on the streets of the Bronx. He accidentally runs into an old writer named Forrester who discovers his passion for writing. With help from his new mentor Jamal receives a scholarship to a private school.Faces
1968-11-24Middle-aged suburban husband Richard abruptly tells his wife, Maria, that he wants a divorce. As Richard takes up with a younger woman, Maria enjoys a night on the town with her friends and meets a younger man. As the couple and those around them confront a seemingly futile search for what they've lost -- love, excitement, passion -- this classic American independent film explores themes of aging and alienation.Ο κούκλος
1968-05-10There is no descriptionBasquiat
1996-08-09The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.Fight Club
1999-10-15A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.The Cuckoo
2002-01-01September of 1944, a few days before Finland went out of the Second World War. A chained to a rock Finnish sniper-kamikadze Veikko managed to set himself free. Ivan, a captain of the Soviet Army, arrested by the Front Secret Police 'Smersh', has a narrow escape. They are soldiers of the two enemy armies. A Lapp woman Anni gives a shelter to both of them at her farm. For Anni they are not enemies, but just men.To Die For
1995-09-22Suzanne Stone wants to be a world-famous news anchor and she is willing to do anything to get what she wants. What she lacks in intelligence, she makes up for in cold determination and diabolical wiles. As she pursues her goal with relentless focus, she is forced to destroy anything and anyone that may stand in her way, regardless of the ultimate cost or means necessary.Wag the Dog
1997-12-25During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war.Titanic
1997-11-18101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose boards the ship with her mother and fiancé. Meanwhile, Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic's departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.Chappaquiddick
2018-04-06Ted Kennedy's life and political career become derailed in the aftermath of a fatal car accident in 1969 that claims the life of a young campaign strategist, Mary Jo Kopechne.The Way to Love
1933-10-20Francois, a cheerful Parisian bohemian, wants more than anything to be a tour guide in his beloved city. While working the streets, Francois meets Madeleine, who works at a circus.Decameron 4
1972-11-23A comedy based on fourth novel out of "Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio.Kanamewo
2015-11-04A young, unnamed woman, while biking home from the bank she works at, happens upon a weakened tree goddess whose native shrine is being demolished for construction work. She rescues her and brings the goddess home with her. The two form a relationship, but what will happen to the goddess as the construction progresses?Bridget Jones's Diary...
2001-04-13Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against her age, her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her various imperfections. As a New Year's resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. The fireworks begin when her charming though disreputable boss takes an interest in the quirky Miss Jones. Thrown into the mix are Bridget's band of slightly eccentric friends and a rather disagreeable acquaintance into whom Bridget cannot seem to stop running or help finding quietly attractive.Requiem for a Dream
2000-10-06The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.