Fairaher
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
Isbel
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
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!"
Jam_Man
Just read the book of this film and then immediately watched the movie, and have to say the old cliché is right, the films isn't as good as the book.SPOILERS!!!! There are some key changes in the storyline which change the dynamics of some of the relationships.In the book Spencer is a good friend of his who tries to get him and Alice together and Brian unfairly shuns him after the fight thinking he was hitting on Alice. In the film Spencer is a slime ball who betrays him, when in the book she sleeps with Jackson and then sees another guy at university. Why David Nicholls felt he had to change the characters I don't know, pacing of the film I guess.Movie version Jackson really doesn't match up to the book version, he is painfully embarrassing in the book and much funnier than in the film, although I wonder how that would have looked on film.
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.
mike-578-24677
Alright I confess that I don't see or understand the charms of Mr McEvoy but putting my prejudices on one side I have to say I've had more fun with a rectal exam.This film takes dullness to new levels. It's excruciating even if you have your observers book of Brit-film clichés with you and are intent on crossing a few hundred of them off.Imagine, if you will, a love child fathered by Four Weddings on the blushing maiden known as The Holiday and you get an idea of how bad this film is.Everyone involved should be thoroughly ashamed - apart from Mark Gatiss.
