Quick Movie Review: Starter For Ten

4/10

Far be it from me to presume to throw a spanner in the works of the James McAvoy star maker machine, but why is it this film is just not very good? Another thing - this proves is that the British film industry must try harder than simply relocated the same plots from other films to Bristol if it wants to make any sustained progress in the long term viability stakes.

Well, my prevailing theory at the moment is that Starter For Ten represents the lowest amount of effort put into making a film on the subject matter. The romances follow the same tired old clichéd beats - initial romance is flaky and shallow, the real girl he should be with is obvious to us but passed over by the hero because, well, the film demands it. He even has the same old conversation with his mate who says - "we're never going to make anything of ourselves but you can, and it's insulting to us if you waste that chance" which I'm certain I remember from elsewhere but it is late and the film eludes me. Even his big mistake at the Challenge itself isn't really that tremendously exciting since the only consequences to him appear to be that he gets into the Smiths and looks depressed for a few minutes (any Uni student's been through that).

There are a couple of funny beats - the botched headbutt, for example, and the stoned confrontation with Alice's naked parents, but the sheer obviousness of the story never goes away and for me the film never overcame this issue.

Many people really like Starter For Ten. I don't. By all means make up your own minds. BBC films will be grateful for the cash.

A