Joe Barber Reviews “Starter for 10″

by Joe Barber on Mar.10, 2007, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

Brian Jackson, the hero of the new comedy “Starter For 10,” is a firm believer in the old saw that “knowledge is power.” Early on in his working class childhood, he realized he wasn’t all that handsome or charismatic, so the only way he’d find a place in the world was to gather all the knowledge he could and use it to his best advantage. Absorbing facts large and small like a sponge, he sets his sights on getting into a top college and building a new life from there. As this charming coming of age tale unfolds, Brian discovers even the best intentioned of plans can be derailed by two things-life and love.

After entering Queen’s College, Brian’s next goal is to earn a place on the school’s “University Challenge” team. The “Challenge” is a wildly popular television quiz show in which teams of students from schools across the nation compete against each other answering questions on a wide variety of topics. After overcoming some obstacles, including the fact that the team’s veteran captain hates him, Brian makes the team, but struggles with distractions.

Two of those distractions are Alice, a beautiful, blond and bright young woman with a very worldly background who also makes the team. She’s looking more for television experience than showing off her considerable smarts. Also vying for Brian’s attention is Rebecca, a socially aware, politically active fellow student whose amused by Brian’s desire for upward mobility, but sees more in him than even he sees in himself. Throw in Brian’s widowed mother, who’s just starting to find a bit of romance again and his childhood best friend, who thinks Brian’s becoming a snob, and it’s not surprising that the approaching live showdown with the school that’s beaten Queen’s two years
in a row is the least of his worries.

Screenwriter David Nicholls, who adapted his novel, has a gift for taking the ordinary and familiar and giving it a tweak or two that makes it fresh and engaging. That gift, along with a talented cast of actors, most of them unknown to American audiences, is made excellent use of by director Tom Vaughn. He lays the story out in a genial, unhurried way that feels natural and familiar, yet the story takes a twist now and then that makes sense and mkeeps us engaged. Tom McAvoy is a hero worthy of support as Brian, with his heasrt in the right place and his foot in his mouth. Alice Eve and Rebecca Hall as the two women in his life add a sene of humanity and warmth to their performances that make their characters more than romantic ideals. Catherine Tate as Brian’s mom and Dominic Cooper as his best friend Spencer, bring touches of bittersweet umor to the story that
help to anchor it. A well chosen soundtrack of ’80’s pop and rock classics add flavor to the mix.

After enduring such lame and lazy comic efforts as “Norbit” and “Wild Hogs” in recent weeks, “Starter For 10″ comes as a truly refreshing breath of fresh air. A small gem that you may have to hunt a bit to find, you’ll be well rewarded if you do.

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for profanity, mild violence and sexual and drug content.
jJOE’S RATING:THREE AND A HALF STARS.