Admission (2013)

 When you go on a long haul flight, sometimes it can be pretty difficult to keep yourself entertained, especially when you find yourself on your own on your way to America with 8 hours to fill on a cramped, noisy and bumpy flight. Thank God that some airlines (this one in particular happened to be Virgin Atlantic just in case you were wondering) provide some pretty decent films on-board to while away the mind-numbing hours of having to constantly get up so the person next to you can go to the toilet...again. From the multitude of movies and TV shows that Virgin In-Flight entertainment had to offer, this is the film that I chose (mainly because Tina Fey is a genius). Admission is about the admission process to college in America and what it takes to be offered a place at some of the countries, and the worlds, greatest Universities. Tina Fey plays Portia, an administration officer at Princeton whose job it is to search out the bright future minds that will wander the halls of this prestigious college. However, when John (Paul Rudd), a principal at what some may call an alternative school, puts forward an odd candidate, Portia must decide whether this kid is worth putting her job on the line for to make sure he gets the place he deserves. Oh and there's also the added factor that this kid may be the son she gave up for adoption, just a small spanner in the works.

 As may already be obvious, I am a bit of a Tina Fey fan, so my hopes for this film were pretty high. That being said, I wasn't overly impressed with it. I will go into detail as to why in a moment but I would just like you to bear in mind when you read this that if you have ever watched a movie on a plane you will know that it's not exactly brilliant viewing. I was constantly having to pause or rewind due to announcements about the food or how I could save 60p on some crappy duty free item that I didn't really need as well as being bashed in the knee by the god awful trolley the air hostesses seem to endlessly wheel up and down the aisle (the perks of having an aisle seat, ladies and gentlemen). Therefore, by the time I finished the film it's safe to say not much of it had gone in and I was in a pretty horrific mood which has probably influenced my view of this film slightly.

 Anyway, back to the movie. The acting is good and it has its moments (if brief) of comedy and humour. I wouldn't go as far as calling the movie a comedy overall (false advertising by Virgin In-Flight Entertainment there) but I guess it is a very sweet little film that can help pass a few spare hours. The story is kind of uneventful with not much really happening. Having said that, I imagine that the world of college administration isn't exactly high-octane and adrenaline fuelled so this attempt must be given some credit for making it at least vaguely interesting for a moment or two. One particular touch I did like was the scenes in which Fey's character is reading through the applications she has been sent. The idea to have Fey's character imagine the kids as she is reading is very creative and allows for some funny and also quite awkward moments.
 
 To move onto the acting, both Fey and Rudd give good performances and it is nice to see them both be funny in a more normal setting without the craziness that can be Hollywood comedies (Anchorman comes to mind). I wouldn't say that this is a brilliant performance for either of them, but they both pull it off very well and in a film with a more engrossing story, they could really make a good acting partnership.

 Therefore, this movie is a good, sweet little off-beat film that never quite manages to shine. It is just okay, nothing more and is probably only worth watching if you have seen most of the other films that are available to you and there is no way of escaping to do something more interesting.