Submarine - written and directed by Richard Ayoade. Starring Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor. A beautifully shot, quirky and endearing comedy, the film follows teenager Oliver Tate as he goes through the motions of pubescent life. Oliver is a bit of a combination of much-loved characters throughout film - a mishmash of Scott Pilgrim, Ferris Bueller and Rushmore’s Max Fischer. He’s ballsy and calculated when he needs to be, but when caught off guard, still totally awkward. One of the things he likes to do is a “routine search” of his parents’ bedroom, where he collects bits and pieces of information about the couple as if he were investigating complete strangers.
The film unfolds with a refreshing exuberance and snappiness, despite its muted tones and colors. As a fan of Arctic Monkeys, I really enjoyed frontman Alex Turner’s songs for the soundtrack. They definitely added to the brooding feel and tone of the film. I really enjoyed Oliver’s narrated musings, which for some reason reminded me of Beginners. If you liked Everything is Illuminated or Rushmore, you’ll enjoy Submarine.