Filthy Review - Submarine

Submarine (2010)

Review by Jude Felton

I will start off this review by saying that I haven’t been overly familiar with director Richard Ayoade’s acting career. Shows such as The Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd never really crossed my radar. Saying that though, I did enjoy Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, even if I can’t recall the roles Ayoade played. Maybe this is a blessing though as it meant I went into Submarine with no expectations whatsoever connected to his name. If Submarine is anything to go by I would hope, and expect, to see more (or less if you prefer) of him behind the camera.

Released in the UK in 2010 Submarine is just now getting its DVD and Blu-ray release here in the States. Whether this is in part due to Ben Stiller’s involvement as Executive Producer I can only speculate, but seeing as though it is a slightly warped coming-of-age flick from Wales I would possibly think so.

Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is a strange young lad, he’s socially awkward preferring instead to daydream and conjure up fantasies in his head. Seemingly obsessed with Jordana (Yasmin Paige), herself somewhat of an outcast, yet reluctant to put too much effort into his pursuit of her, and subsequent courtship.

The other main focus of his life is his observations on his parents relationship with each other. Lionel Tate (Noah Taylor) and Jill Tate (Sally Hawkins) seem stuck in a rut and Oliver is convinced that his mother is planning an affair with the fantastically mulleted Graham Purvis (Paddy Considine), a self-help guru wannabe ninja. Oh, just watch the movie, it will all make sense!

So the movie weaves its magic, it’s straightforward yet almost dreamlike in its approach. The script is absolutely wonderful with all the cast delivering it perfectly. In particular Roberts, who is a revelation, is just fantastic and the double-header of Taylor (Red, White and Blue) and Considine (Hot Fuzz) are just great in their roles. The soundtrack is also spot-on, performed by Andrew Hewitt, it never intrudes on the story, but serves only to compliment and enhance it.

There had to be something about this movie that didn’t work, right? Well, not from where I was sitting. It is very rare that I watch a movie and then want to watch it again straight away. Yes, I thought it was that good. It IS that that good. The other coming-of-age flick that I would say I enjoyed just as much is the phenomenal Stand By Me, and even though the stories are miles apart I would put Submarine right up there with the Stephen King adaptation.

Quirky, touching and laugh-out-loud funny, Submarine is by far one of the most enjoyable films I have seen this year, and I have seen some excellent films. Don’t be surprised to see this on my films of the year list come the end of the year. Fantastic.

Submarine is available now from Anchor Bay Entertainment