Third Star to the Right
By Naiesha Thobe, Teen Scribe 

I recently had the pleasure (note: wary pleasure) of finding out about the movie Third Star. Pleasure because it stars my favourite actor of the time- Benedict Cumberbatch. Wary because... well, I found out the plot. Of course I found out the plot. Why would I want to see a movie that I didn't know the plot of? (I'm a terrible critic. And I also get bored very easily.) So, I found out the plot, I was immediately wary, but I watched it anyway, and... 

The experience was terrible. 

Terrible, but beautiful. 

Now you're saying: what is wrong with you now? Let me explain. Let me explain the plot, because it will all make sense. 

The story opens on James Griffith's twenty-ninth birthday- 

Wait. Let me quote the movie here: 

"I'm twenty-nine today. Won't see thirty." 

Those were two of the sentences uttered by James in the beginning of the movie. Two sentences that say 'You better get a box of tissues out, because you know where this is going'. 

The movie opens on James' twenty-ninth birthday. Viewers are quick to find out that he has been diagnosed with cancer. Terminal. He won't live to see his thirtieth birthday. 

James' plan? He wants to visit his favourite place on earth: Barafundle Bay. It's not exactly the easiest place to get to- a lot of walking is involved- but his three friends, Miles, Davy, and Bill, are determined to let James spend a day on the bay one last time

 They set out on the journey. Four men and one cart, two tents and a lot of tea and biscuits.

 Laughter, tears, fighting, bonding... Those are only a few of the things that happen on this journey.

 Their journey is spectacular, to say the least. Their filming location- Pembrokeshire, Britain- was utterly breathtaking. The scenery was wonderful, but it was the actors and their performances that really pulled the entire film together. Mr. Cumberbatch, as well as J.J. Feild, Adam Robertson, and Tom Burke all deserve praise for the stunning portrayals of their respective characters. 

I'm already emotionally attached to Mr. Cumberbatch as an actor- I've followed him through two series' of Sherlock and there's my emotional attachment in a nutshell- so, perhaps my reaction was a bit biased, but- 

Sobbed my eyes out. Literally sobbed. I can be overly emotional over fictional characters as it is (the natural writer in me connects with characters...? Yeah, I'm sticking with that), but everything in this film, and especially the last... thirty-some seconds before the credits (when the screen was just a night sky with stars and there was a certain quote that I will not post), pushed me over the edge. It wasn't even so much a push as a... battering ram hitting me. But, that's just me! 

I noticed a Tweet on the movie where a person mentioned that they hadn't cried so hard since Titanic. I've never seen Titanic (and now you're really saying 'what's wrong with you', aren't you?), so I don't know, but there's a comparison for you all. 

The only crux with Third Star is that it's not available on DVD here in the United States. It was exclusively a British film, technically, I believe. However. (Because I didn't go to Britain to watch this movie.) It is available on Video-on-Demand from such places as iTunes or Amazon or Youtube Movies. Which basically means renting it to watch on the computer. Which is a little sad because watching things on the telly is so much better, I think. But, it's worth it. 

Because everybody needs a little tragic comedy in their life, eh? (The movie is a comedy, yes. Which means a lot of alternating from laughing to crying or maybe laugh-crying.) 

Overall, four and a half stars out of five. It's my new favourite movie and for anybody who knows me, that's saying a lot. (I totally wasn't obsessed with the Sherlock Holmes movies. Everybody totally didn't know that. They totally weren't my favourite movies for the past year...) 

I highly recommend it, although viewer discretion be advised. It is not a family film, and while I'm not actually sure if it's rated or not, I'd give it a, well, PG-16+. Like PG-13, but a bit older. Not for anything bad, per se; there's just a bit of mature themes and amounts of vulgar language that's probably not suited for anyone too young. 

Self-issued rating aside, it's a great film. I've watched it more than once in the past three days. Okay, well, the second time was to have my mom watch it. She liked it, by the way. So, it's not just a teenager-oriented movie or whatnot. 

If you find yourself bored or wanting a good movie to watch, Third Star is a must-see! Just remember: tissues are a must as well.