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STARTER FOR TEN Send This Review to a Friend
Charm and class conflict combine to make the British import “Starter for Ten” a cut above most films with a university setting. David Nicholls’ novel is the source for the film, which Tom Vaughan has directed. James McAvoy is appealing as Brian, a working class youth who makes it to Bristol University and wants to take part on the school team prepping for a British television quiz show.
The class issues stand out firmly, as Brian’s back home pals think he’s turning into a “wanker,” a view fed by resentment at seeing one of their own seize opportunities to move upward in society. Brian becomes caught up in the pressures to succeed and with destructive effect.
Brian also finds himself drawn to two classmates, the sexy Alice (Alice Eve) and the politically heated Rebecca (Rebecca Hall). His life grows increasingly complicated, and issues of principle with respect to the quiz show intrude.
McAvoy does a fine acting job, which accounts considerably for the film’s appeal. However, “Starter for Ten” also is sharp as a comment on life in England in the 1980s and on the age-old problem of how to rise in status from one’s background without compromising one’s integrity and how to navigate relationships.
The film, the title of which refers to a starter question worth ten points in the quiz competition, is entertaining as well as perceptive. A Picturehouse release.
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