Starter for 10

2006
6.7| 1h32m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 15 October 2006 Released
Producted By: BBC Film
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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In 1985, against the backdrop of Thatcherism, Brian Jackson enrolls in the University of Bristol, a scholarship boy from seaside Essex with a love of knowledge for its own sake and a childhood spent watching University Challenge, a college quiz show. At Bristol he tries out for the Challenge team and falls under the spell of Alice, a lovely blond with an extensive sexual past.

Genre

Drama, Comedy, Romance

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Director

Tom Vaughan

Production Companies

BBC Film

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Starter for 10 Audience Reviews

Scanialara You won't be disappointed!
FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
meebly I can't begin to explain why this film hit me the way it did, but I truly hated it as much as any in recent memory. I love the genre, and had never heard of the actors before this film, so I had no personal bias against any of them. But every minute of watching it made me feel cheated out of that 60 seconds.This was the first I'd seen of James McAvoy, who I'll admit has never done a movie I've liked (I think "Wanted" is one of the three worst superhero movies I've ever seen), and I did want to like him and his character. But all I wanted to do was slap him, hard and repeatedly.Every teen in the film is a glaring cliché, but mostly from mainstream films. Maybe the idea was to fill an art-house-aimed title with such clichés in hopes that few members of its audience patronized mainstream teen fare and therefore wouldn't be aware of all the contrivances. But even if you haven't seen a teen romantic comedy-drama since "Footloose", you're sure to pick up on many of the components of the standard high-concept formula of "Working class good guy misguided into falling for wealthy, self-centered beauty, discovers her shortcomings and his own in the process, realizes that ugly-duckling-turned-swan is who he should really care about, etc." As for the device that drives the hackneyed plot, it's a high-minded TV trivia competition for university co-eds rather than a sporting event, but otherwise all the usual ingredients are here. Somehow, though, they manage to work even more poorly in this film than in many Hollywood fluff pieces.Again, this critique is a lot more visceral than intellectual, but much as I hate to borrow from Roger Ebert, "I really, really, really HATED this movie!"
chucknorrisrules This film has to be one of my favourites since I was forced to watch it by cultural people. Luckily I was not disappointed.The general story is of a Brian (McAvoy), an intelligent and clever young man who after going to university in Bristol, joins the University Challenge team. During this time, he falls for an attractive blonde on the team called Alice (Eve) while being completely oblivious to the affections of the beautiful intellectual, Rebecca Epstein (Hall).The film has a great cast and some good comedy moments. A great cast, and some good dialogue. There's not much else to say about it, but that if you ever feel unhappy and depressed, watch this gem, it will not disappoint in cheering you up.
napierslogs "Starter for 10" is an independent comedy that succeeds in its own funny, charming and quirky way. James McAvoy plays Brian, our central character that goes off to university to first achieve his dreams and prove his intelligence and then secondly he might meet some girls. Of course girls get in the way of everything.Brian is one of the best characters that this genre has seen. He's very funny in a subtle self-effacing kind of way, and completely relatable. You fall in love with him as he falls for the charms of Alice and tries to appear cool to Rebecca. He's also desperate to succeed on the University Challenge team and know he's clever. Isn't it frustrating when girls always get in the way? This film is set in the 1980s, so beware of bad hair and poor fashion, but enjoy the trip.
hatefilms Like any film its relationship to reality is limited - and having been at Bristol just before the time the film is set (left in 1984) some stuff was not what I remembered - but my main pernickety gripes are that:1. Music - not what I remember from Epicurean/Dug out/Architects apart from Smiths/Cure/New Order - was much more punky/new wave/left field among students 2. Clothes/Style likewise - no-one I knew apart from posh people (though there were lots in Bristol) had any money, though I do remember one female student wearing white stilettos - and even the posh students didn't have new cars (even 2 CVs) or even any car 3. Not enough rain - it rained all the timeThere was one very accurate bit though - slightly intimidating tutor mugging wayward student and helping them realise they could grow up and learn - almost exactly the same thing happened to me (on Whiteladies Road). It would be interesting to know if this was a common experience as I always thought it was unique to me (I am fairly sure tutor pursuing me across the road was almost unique). Apparently now students don't have tutors in most universities, sadly