Starter For Ten DVD Review

"Starter For Ten" reviews

DVD

Starter For Ten

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-04-20 15:00:28

Provider

DVD Review

Before his role in Last King Of Scotland, James McAvoy starred in this adaptation of David Nicholls' best selling novel about a working class lad's first year at University.

He plays Brian Jackson, who lives in a seaside town with his widowed mother, played by Catherine Tate. Accepted at Bristol, his childhood obsession with facts and University Challenge gets him thrown into a socially and politically active whirlwind plus the chance to try out for Bamber Gascoigne's (this is in the days before Paxman) iconic quiz.

Pippedtot the post by femme fatale Alice, only an accident to a fellow teammate gets him into the select four. Comedy ensues with run-ins with mates from home and a personal wrestle to choose between Alice, the well-heeled blonde, and Rebecca, the politically astute and active brunette. Ultimately, naive blunders and a howler of a mistake at a crucial moment see him heading home with his tail firmly between his legs.

The League of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss makes a rather good Bamber (for those who remember the pre-Paxman University Challenge years) while it's easy to see why McAvoy has gone on to bigger things since. The strong '80s soundtrack also helps to set the scene.

Comes with cast and crew interviews and an '80s quiz.