Cert - 15
Run Time - 97 minutes
Genre - Comedy
American
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So, 'Submarine', the much talked about British indie film of 2011, bold dust-cover quotes that its a "must see", if you believe the broadsheet press. But the same trendy media loved Coldplay until the band became huge, never cool to like popular things. Well we are all movie critics now, online reviews the truth, some ponce in clear lens glasses and polo necks overruled, Submarine not that 'Withnail and I' moment, the right to say that what makes it worthwhile spending two hours writing these reviews. Anyway, I thought The Kings Speech was the big British independent hit of the year?


---The Cast---

Noah Taylor ... Lloyd Tate
Paddy Considine ... Graham Purvis
Craig Roberts ... Oliver Tate
Yasmin Paige ... Jordana Bevan
Sally Hawkins ... Jill Tate
Darren Evans ... Chips
Osian Cai Dulais ... Mark Pritchard
Lily McCann ... Zoe Preece

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The Plot =
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Gauche and withdrawn 15-year-old schoolboy Lloyd Tate (Noah Taylor) has two missions in life in his small South Wales costal hamlet. One is to get laid and the other is to make sure his mum (Sally Hawkins) doesn't hook up with old flame and 'psychic mystic' Graham Purvis (Paddy Considine), who has conveniently moved in next-door with his sexy new girlfriend Zoe (Lily McCann). Dad Oliver (Craig Roberts) is not exactly the most romantic husband in the world and so mum (Jill) may be tempted at the chance of some excitement in her life.

At school Lloyd has a crush on the newly arrived Jordana Birch (Yasmin Paige); a dark haired temptress that wears her skirt too short and likes a fag and a boy behind the bike sheds. Lloyd doesn't fit in at school and often wears a black eye, in no way the sort of boy Jordana is drawn to, a challenge and corruption for both. But she is soon unofficially Lloyd's first girlfriend after she features in his school film project, their scene titled 'First Kiss'. Lloyd promises to be the best boyfriend any girl has ever had. Mum is just made up by the news that he is not gay.

As their relationship presses on and saliva is frequently exchanged in increasingly awkward ways - in keeping with everything else Lloyd does - his mum is also sneaking off to see Graham perform his psychic readings at the village hall. This conflict of dampening his mums possible philandering and encouraging his love life will take some organizing as its beginning to overlap.

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Conclusion =====
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The film immediately has echoes of Wes Andersons 'Rushmore', another rather overrated and knowing high school indie, Noah Taylor in the lead here all but Jason Schwartzman in name from that movie, both muddled Jewish schoolboys in duffel coats facing those right-of-passages, that of the teen clichés of losing their virginity with an interesting girl and being generally aloof to everyone.

Its directional debut feature for Richard Ayoade, that bloke with frizzy hair from the brilliant IT Crowd, and he does a good job too, having a real eye for film. Critic would be that does let the camera linger a little too long on the scenery to get the arty gothic winter seaside shot but he also allows the actors to use that space. But if we are honest we have seen all this middle-class family angst before and Submarine is nothing special. The characters are too miserable for some reason and not that many more smiles to be had from the script humor. You always look for something different when a new talent is talked up and yet there is nothing new here and I'm not one to tolerate those broadsheet reviews that say I'm not seeing something they have. I suspect they only fell for Submarine because they were little Lloyd Tate at school.

It's well written and reasonably smart; the script complimented by those often appealing visuals.
Alas you do feel the director is trying too hard do a British 'Juno' at times as the leads are precocious in that irritating way child actors are when they are encouraged to play their roles in a knowing adult manner, the pretentiousness that often puts you off these low budget erudite indies. But Ayoade got away with it and delivered a solid smart piece and I look forward to his next film. Hopefully its 'IT Crowd: The movie' !


>>>>>>Special Features<<<<<<<<

-Deleted Scenes-

Quite a few, plenty of Paddy Considine's celluloid spaghetti on the cutting room floor.

-Extended Scenes-

Who really cares?

-Q&A at the London Premier-

-Test Shoot-

For some reason we can see the actors auditioning, as tedious as it gets.

-Ben Stiller Message-

As above, the comic/executive producer having a giggle, making sure you know he produced this.

-Piledriver-

The complete waltz video from the film

-Glasgow Premier Q&A-

Scottish subtitles from the London premier?

-Interviews-

-Through the Prism-

Spoof performance from Paddy Consindine's mystic stage performance.


-------------The Critics--------------

Channel4 - "Ayoade has an evident gift for the kind of slightly offbeat comedy that's about the differences between a character's self-perception and the way the world sees him".

The Guardian -"Significance can be overrated, and "Submarine" makes the most of its whimsical triviality".

CCN -"A cool, well-directed, if somewhat sterile and self-consciously quirky affair about teen awkwardness, virginity, infidelity and dead-end marriages".

The LA Times -"It's too concerned with style to leave a lasting impression, yet it's also warming and witty enough to pass by without doing any harm".


-----The Ratings-----
Imdb.com - 7.4 / 10.0 (9,544 votes)
Metacritic.com - 76% critic's approval
Rottentomatos.com - 86% critic's approval
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