Starter for 10 (2006)

Lack of good storyline.

An unexpected masterpiece

Absolutely the worst movie.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

I can't begin to explain why this film hit me the way it did, but I truly hated it as much as any in recent memory. I love the genre, and had never heard of the actors before this film, so I had no personal bias against any of them. But every minute of watching it made me feel cheated out of that 60 seconds.This was the first I'd seen of James McAvoy, who I'll admit has never done a movie I've liked (I think "Wanted" is one of the three worst superhero movies I've ever seen), and I did want to like him and his character. But all I wanted to do was slap him, hard and repeatedly.Every teen in the film is a glaring cliché, but mostly from mainstream films. Maybe the idea was to fill an art-house-aimed title with such clichés in hopes that few members of its audience patronized mainstream teen fare and therefore wouldn't be aware of all the contrivances. But even if you haven't seen a teen romantic comedy-drama since "Footloose", you're sure to pick up on many of the components of the standard high-concept formula of "Working class good guy misguided into falling for wealthy, self-centered beauty, discovers her shortcomings and his own in the process, realizes that ugly-duckling-turned-swan is who he should really care about, etc." As for the device that drives the hackneyed plot, it's a high-minded TV trivia competition for university co-eds rather than a sporting event, but otherwise all the usual ingredients are here. Somehow, though, they manage to work even more poorly in this film than in many Hollywood fluff pieces.Again, this critique is a lot more visceral than intellectual, but much as I hate to borrow from Roger Ebert, "I really, really, really HATED this movie!"

Alright I confess that I don't see or understand the charms of Mr McEvoy but putting my prejudices on one side I have to say I've had more fun with a rectal exam.This film takes dullness to new levels. It's excruciating even if you have your observers book of Brit-film clichés with you and are intent on crossing a few hundred of them off.Imagine, if you will, a love child fathered by Four Weddings on the blushing maiden known as The Holiday and you get an idea of how bad this film is.Everyone involved should be thoroughly ashamed - apart from Mark Gatiss.

I had high hopes for this but although it started promisingly enough it just got more and more predictable and bland until I couldn't wait for it to end. The acting wasn't the problem James Mcavoy was excellent as he usually is but some of the other talented actors James Corden, John Henshaw and Charles Dance in particular were given almost nothing to do. I had thought that being on University Challenge was the main point of the story but that seemed to get lost until near the end. I kept thinking if Richard Curtis had written this at least it would have been funny. I think in trying to appeal to the widest possible audience they compromised far too much and took out all the rough edges which spoilt any chances of this being a good or even half good film. I'll try and not be completely negative and say the first hour was fairly watchable. (5/10)

Like any film its relationship to reality is limited - and having been at Bristol just before the time the film is set (left in 1984) some stuff was not what I remembered - but my main pernickety gripes are that:1. Music - not what I remember from Epicurean/Dug out/Architects apart from Smiths/Cure/New Order - was much more punky/new wave/left field among students 2. Clothes/Style likewise - no-one I knew apart from posh people (though there were lots in Bristol) had any money, though I do remember one female student wearing white stilettos - and even the posh students didn't have new cars (even 2 CVs) or even any car 3. Not enough rain - it rained all the timeThere was one very accurate bit though - slightly intimidating tutor mugging wayward student and helping them realise they could grow up and learn - almost exactly the same thing happened to me (on Whiteladies Road). It would be interesting to know if this was a common experience as I always thought it was unique to me (I am fairly sure tutor pursuing me across the road was almost unique). Apparently now students don't have tutors in most universities, sadly