"Well, I have a big heart."
With filmic influences that seem to range from classic European cinema to Spielberg to Scott Pilgrim, Submarine is a joyous, warm, intelligent and immensely enjoyable movie from start to finish. Richard Ayoade's first full-length film as writer and director amply demonstrates his skills in both areas: the direction shows genuine invention and control without ever being too showy, and the script (from Joe Dunthorne's novel) gives every character an excellent range of wit, comedy and pathos. Craig Roberts (last seen as the teen vampire in Being Human) gives a superb central performance as 15-year-old Oliver, and Yasmin Paige shows promise as his girlfriend Jordana. The main adults are models of character work (especially Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor as Oliver's emotionally-constrained parents). Andrew Hewitt' score supports the film beautifully, and the Welsh landscape provides some wonderful juxtapositions of nature, industry and institutions (home, school, hospital). It is refreshing to see teenagers given credit for real emotions in film, which is sorely lacking in most Hollywood product. Submarine represents the very best of small-scale British film, and it will be very interesting to see what Ayoade does next.
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