Review of Starter for 10 (2006) by Gareth B — 10 Nov 2009

Starter for 10 is infuriatingly average. It has so much potential, but in the end it is reduced to an everyday romance film with little magic. What should have been the main draw and comedic heart of the film, University Challenge, is reduced to a minor footnote in the overall plot.

McAvoy doesn't display as much emotion here as compared to something like The Last King of Scotland, and that is a great shame. The secondary cast are perfectly competent, but what is missing is a heart and soul.

The plotline, about how Essex lad Brian manages to gain entrance to Bristol University and then wrangle his way onto the University Challenge team, has that typical coming-of-age aspect that so many of these type of films share, but it seems to skip lightly over the most important facets of the journey.

If anything, I would be tempted to accuse the film of simply being cliched. There are some great cameos here and there though, such as Mark Gatiss as a great Bamber Gascoigne, and Catherine Tate as Brian's mother.

I also enjoyed Cumberbatch's performance as Patrick, the only character who could really be designated as funny. Starter for 10 will keep you watching for most of it, but in the end it just doesn't manage to keep its finger on the buzzer.