At the Movies: Submarine

Thank you Richard Ayoade for making a really good British movie.

‘Submarine’ ticks so many boxes; it’s dead pan, laugh out loud funny, it’s moving, it’s looks great, it’s well cast, well directed. It’s simply a really well rounded movie. It’s engaging from the very opening scene until the very end, it doesn’t take you by the hand, it yanks your arm out of its socket and you are immediately transported to back in the day Swansea and the wonderful, tormented, hilarious outer and inner world of Oliver Tate and his trials and tribulations of being a teenager.

The performances in ‘Submarine’ are pitch perfect; from the newcomers Craig Roberts playing Oliver (one of the best performances I have seen in years- hope many awards and great parts come his way) to Yasmin Paige playing his brittle love interest Jordana, to the always fantastic Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor cast as Oliver’s parents with marriage in crisis and ever brilliant Paddy Considine as the mulleted, new age, leather pants wearing, self help guru Graham. When you have a script this good and a cast this good you are onto a winner. But there is one thing that ruled out the word ‘awesome’ in describing ‘Submarine’ and that is its strange, uneven pace. As I mentioned earlier the film draws you in from the moment go and keeps its pace to somewhere around the middle where it slows down and then speeds up again and then it’s over. It just felt oddly short. It’s very hard to put my finger on it but since ‘Submarine’ will be revisited many times when it comes out on DVD I am sure to find my answer. For now I am pleased I saw a movie that made me laugh throughout and kept me alert, interested and entertained and that is what makes ‘Submarine’ a really good movie.

To see the trailer for ‘Submarine’ click HERE