Benedict Cumberbatch. His name is unique, so is his face, which perfectly suits a young man with terminal cancer. On his 29th birthday, this man (James) starts on a journey with his 3 friends to Barafundle Bay, West Wales. All characters are introduced in the beginning, and the plot is simple. Therefore it is easy to follow the story. You can easily spot Barafundle Bay on the Google Map. It is a quiet and beautiful beach open between cliffs. It is a part of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, very long cliff of lime rock. After dropping off their van, they walk top of the cliff several days, carrying the terminal cancer patient on a cart. According to the Google Map, it seems cars can reach only 2 kilometers away from the bay. They deliberately made a wild journey plan. They could be high-school mates. They are candid each other and reckless to do wild things, burning a tent, dropping important items. During the journey with James, who is fighting with death fear and strong pain, gradually the problems each one has are revealed. Personally, recently I often see movies about the people facing death. But this one is the story of youth.

"Third Star" was released in 2010 and, had it been a bigger film, would have won Benedict Cumberbatch an Oscar. Stardom for him was inevitable, however, as shortly afterward, he shot to stardom as "Sherlock" in the PBS series. Now he's everywhere. And he deserves to be.Made on a small budget and directed by Hattie Dalton, "Third Star" is about James, a 29-year-old (Cumberbatch) dying of rhabdomyosarcoma, a horrible cancer that attacks the muscles. He has very little time left and is dependent upon painkillers. He wants to go to his favorite place, Barafundle Bay in West Wales. So his three best friends Davy, Miles, and Bill (Tom Burke, J.J. Field, and Adam Robertson) take him, even though it's not a good idea. James is weak and has trouble walking due to the disease in one of his legs. The guys push him in a cart that also contains their luggage for the trip.En route, we learn about them. Davy has been taking care of James since he became ill; Miles is a writer turned businessman, whose father was a successful novelist. Miles, once a very close friend of James', hasn't been in touch for a while, and we learn that he's written a book he hasn't shown anyone. Bill is living with a woman who is not the love of his life, but he can't seem to break up with her.These guys fight, have outbursts of anger, tell each other off, laugh, and joke, each dealing with James' illness in his own way. And James deals with life and impending death in his own way. "I don't want to die. I want more time," he says, and tells his friends off for being "safe." "Life isn't about the hand you're dealt, but the hand you feel safe playing." Some tough confessions emerge. ("Your illness disgusts me.") but eventually James asks them for a final favor."Third Star" is beautifully acted, but the first 45 minutes or so are slow and a disorganized, if that's the right world -- by disorganized, I mean there's a lot of the guys fooling around and trading barbs, and it becomes a bit much.Cumberbatch gives a breathtaking, heartfelt, devastating performance, but everyone is excellent. The very handsome J.J. Fields is a standout as well -- his role is a little larger than that of the other two friends, and there's an excellent cameo by Hugh Bonneville.Stick with it, and you'll be inspired and uplifted. Caution: You'll want a large box of tissues nearby.

The emotions evoked from this movie is just too powerful. Benedict's performance; his every wince and moan at the pain suffered by a cancer patient, his glossed-over eyes depicts those of a person falling in and out of morphine daydream. His performance is just brilliant. This movie also brings out the question of morality. Do you or do you not help a person in this much of pain? Could you bear to see your friend suffer for the sake of adhering to what society deems as moral?The questions that James asked his friends about what they're doing with their lives makes you think whether you are doing enough with yours. Would you wish you'd have more time to do the things you always put off doing, or would you be able to die with no regrets, with no urgency or need to tie loose ends.

Four friends, one of whom (James) is terminally ill, go off on a last trip to James's favourite place, Barafundle Bay in Wales. The plot therefore is simplicity itself and the film captures this simple idea and makes it shine. One reviewer described the first half as 'tedium', in my opinion nothing could be further from the truth. While the dialogue may seem trivial at times, it is exactly the kind of exchange one would expect of four friends under these circumstances. Light-hearted banter, foolishness and fun offset the looming tragedy, sorrow and pain. Very rarely have I seen a film that from the first frame just felt real. This one does. No over-elaborate flashbacks to explain a backstory that isn't really needed, the actors manage to establish the friendship just through their interactions, chemistry and dialogue. The performances are excellent, especially Benedict Cumberbatch as James is truly remarkable. Four male friends on a last adventure. Fun, revelations, regrets, redemption, grief and the subtle realism of it all. Definitely worth watching!