Richard Ayoade has been threatening to break into cinema for a while now. Some may not think they initially know the name, but the man has slowly and surely been working his way up through the ranks for the best part of the last decade to this point. That's not to say "Submarine" was always part of the plan. Rather, it feels more of a natural progression of the mans talents. So while most will know him from his work as Moss on Channel 4s "The IT Crowd", Ayoades interests go far deeper than seen there. While as intentionally broad as the character he so well plays is, Ayoade has far more original sensibilities. From his work directing and writing "Garth Merenghi's Darkplace", one of the most hilarious and unique TV shows to grace our screens, he has also directed music videos for bands such as Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Last Shadow Puppets. From those he honed a unique visual style as well as gaining a working friendship with Alex Turner, singer of both the Arctic Monkeys and Last Shadow Puppets. Incidentally Turner contributes some solo material for the soundtrack on "Submarine". Put simply, whether it be acting, writing or directing Ayoade showed a unique flair for it. Fans waited with baited breath to see what his debut would be. Some expected the indie cool sheen he brought to his music videos. Others expected the intentionally shoddy and gut bustingly hilarious comedy of "Darkplace". Most will be surprised to find that it is neither of the two, rather something altogether more soulful and deep. While still managing to retain his finger prints "Submarine" has turned out to be one of the most original films this year and one of the most exciting debut films from a British film maker in quite some time.
Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is a socially awkward, yet outwardly confident sixteen year old. He could be considered pretentious were he not so brash. Set in the 80's, the film follows Oliver as he struggles to maintain a relationship with the pyromaniac girl of his dreams Jordana (Yasmin Paige) while trying to keep his parents (Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins) crumbling marriage together. While frequently hilarious, the film has a streak of melancholy running through it. Characters here live lives of sadness (almost wilingly so) and it is through this that Oliver finds his voice. Due to a love of French New Wave cinema and his self belief in being a great litery genius, Oliver views himself and his life as what we see on screen. This could make the protagonist very self-aggrandising to the audience yet Roberts makes sure that Oliver is never less than captivating throughout. His self assured belief in himself is where the film finds most of its understated humour. Lines like 'I suppose it may be affectation, but I sometimes like to read the dictionary', further add to the pomposity of his character. And yet, for all his flaws, Olivers heart is in the right place. Sure some of his methods are sometimes morally questionable, but it is only because he wants those he loves to be happy. At the center, his relationship with his parents and they, with each other, is what manifests itself into his relationship with Jordana. If they can't be happy, then what chance does he and his new would be girlfriend have? Both Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins are wonderful as Olivers parents. Their marraige on the rocks is not one of heated arguments and intense fireworks, rather of quiet and muted restrain. How much does Taylor want to fight for his wife. How much does Hawins want him to fight for her. You get the feeling that these people are far too self absorbed in themselves to ever truly get the urge to fight for what they want. And yet Oliver seems to be the only one who is doing that. This makes later actions more understandable and effective (although not necessarily condonable). The cast are all uniformly brilliant. For such young actors both Roberts and Paige both have stunning grasps on their characters. As the film progresses, the oddity of their relationship is always grounded by their performances. The always great Paddy Considine also shows up as the heavily mulleted stage psychic who shows an unhealthy interest in Olivers mother.
Now by no means is this film perfect. It gets bogged down in its mournfulness more than once and is sometimes too quirky for its own good. But stick with it and the results will be rewarding. Comparisons are there to be made to Wes Anderson, but with a character like Oliver narrating events, how else could it look? Dialogue is constantly at odds with normal narrative convention. Events don't always go where you might expect. Instead of the fantastic and very romantic night Oliver has planned with Jordana, he is instead met with 'Christ, you're a serial killer' from her. Ayoade has crafted a smart and very witty debut, but what is most exciting is to see where this talent will go next. With each move he makes he takes great strides in his abilities, so it would not be unfair to assume that Ayoade is on the cusp of some very special things indeed. With "Submarine" he has crafted merely something very good and for now, and that is more than enough.
Verdict: 7/10
A very funny and touching coming of age story. All the actors are brilliant and Ayoade shows a unique visual flair behind the camera. It's sometimes stale idiosyncrasies threaten to over shadow proceedings, but the film is rich, subtle, unique and very rewarding. This is one that will only grow stronger with time I imagine.
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