I really dig Richard Ayoade's work; a nice minor character in The Mighty Boosh, co-wrote and starred in the most underrated show of all-time Garth Merenghi's Dark Place and is in the hit-and-miss sitcom The IT Crowd. Knowing he was behind today's feature, I was thrilled to see what he does in his directorial debut. This is Submarine.
Plot: Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is an intellectual, inquisitive 15 year-old. He has fallen for straight-talking Jordana Bevan (Yasmin Paige). His parents' marriage, Jill (Sally Hawkins) and Lloyd (Noah Taylor) Tate, is in decline. Matters are made worse when psychic Graham Purvis (Paddy Considine) arrives on the scene.
Once we're presented with the first Goddard-style placard, it's apparent this film will have style, experimentation and something different. By utilising the underlining self-awareness through Oliver's narration, these dynamics aren't artistic pretentiousness but a direct reflection of our protagonist. He's a natural storyteller, into classical literature and tries new things i.e. smoking a pipe, wearing hats. So we have various cinematic techniques (the Super-8 montage of them playing on the beach and a more contemporary 3-D freeze frame when Zoe falls into the lake), we have in-direct fourth-wall jokes (Oliver mentions about his life being filmed, but due to budget restraints, will have to settle for a simple panning wideshot) and is told through chapters and an epilogue. This style never hinders nor overwhelms the characters and dialogue but is an emphasis on Oliver's journey.
The humour in this movie is not presented through traditional punch lines or comedic back-and-forth bantering scenes but little treats for movie fans; they're lost in the sentences, the deadpan deliveries and subtle mumblings.
Jordana contrasts heavily against Oliver's intellectualism, not as a ditsy bimbo but a self-confident every-girl. Outspoken but no revolutionary, fits-in but isn't popular and what I find most liberating, isn't gorgeous! She's a cute, average girl. She is equally naïve as Oliver when it comes to sex, but she has the self-confidence to keep things into perspective. Equally compelling is that she is a kid! She doesn't like romance yet is too young to have been romanced; make-up is minimal with half-polished fingernails; she doesn't use complex sentences to convey her unique traits in the eyes of Oliver. Because of this, Oliver's infatuation with her is earnest, her heartbreak in the final act has weight and their intimacy is adorably off-centre.
While other movies either believe they're brave and have the relationship end on a bittersweet yet uplifting note or end on an unrealistic happily-ever-after note, this movie balances by emphasising its important of being now! Everybody involved knows this relationship will end, but at the beginning of one's sexual journey, your first relationship is not meant to last, it most likely will end but the point isn't to find the one but to enjoy these life experiences, understand its significance in shaping your emotional maturity and knowing it was great at the time.
Submarine is not the average, insipid teenage comedy movie regularly seen in cinema but an honest, reflective study of teenage sexual maturity. A quirky, indie comedy without becoming smug and with supporting characters equalling engaging to watch, you won't be disappointed.
For other reviews, check out anyfilmaday.blogspot.com
Plot: Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is an intellectual, inquisitive 15 year-old. He has fallen for straight-talking Jordana Bevan (Yasmin Paige). His parents' marriage, Jill (Sally Hawkins) and Lloyd (Noah Taylor) Tate, is in decline. Matters are made worse when psychic Graham Purvis (Paddy Considine) arrives on the scene.
Once we're presented with the first Goddard-style placard, it's apparent this film will have style, experimentation and something different. By utilising the underlining self-awareness through Oliver's narration, these dynamics aren't artistic pretentiousness but a direct reflection of our protagonist. He's a natural storyteller, into classical literature and tries new things i.e. smoking a pipe, wearing hats. So we have various cinematic techniques (the Super-8 montage of them playing on the beach and a more contemporary 3-D freeze frame when Zoe falls into the lake), we have in-direct fourth-wall jokes (Oliver mentions about his life being filmed, but due to budget restraints, will have to settle for a simple panning wideshot) and is told through chapters and an epilogue. This style never hinders nor overwhelms the characters and dialogue but is an emphasis on Oliver's journey.
The humour in this movie is not presented through traditional punch lines or comedic back-and-forth bantering scenes but little treats for movie fans; they're lost in the sentences, the deadpan deliveries and subtle mumblings.
Jordana contrasts heavily against Oliver's intellectualism, not as a ditsy bimbo but a self-confident every-girl. Outspoken but no revolutionary, fits-in but isn't popular and what I find most liberating, isn't gorgeous! She's a cute, average girl. She is equally naïve as Oliver when it comes to sex, but she has the self-confidence to keep things into perspective. Equally compelling is that she is a kid! She doesn't like romance yet is too young to have been romanced; make-up is minimal with half-polished fingernails; she doesn't use complex sentences to convey her unique traits in the eyes of Oliver. Because of this, Oliver's infatuation with her is earnest, her heartbreak in the final act has weight and their intimacy is adorably off-centre.
While other movies either believe they're brave and have the relationship end on a bittersweet yet uplifting note or end on an unrealistic happily-ever-after note, this movie balances by emphasising its important of being now! Everybody involved knows this relationship will end, but at the beginning of one's sexual journey, your first relationship is not meant to last, it most likely will end but the point isn't to find the one but to enjoy these life experiences, understand its significance in shaping your emotional maturity and knowing it was great at the time.
Submarine is not the average, insipid teenage comedy movie regularly seen in cinema but an honest, reflective study of teenage sexual maturity. A quirky, indie comedy without becoming smug and with supporting characters equalling engaging to watch, you won't be disappointed.
For other reviews, check out anyfilmaday.blogspot.com