Submarine

Directed by Richard Ayoade

[rating:4.5/5]

In retrospect, Submarine is a like a house of cards, with various distinct elements precariously balanced and constantly threatening to fall apart into a fractured, disparate mess. It’s only when you’re up close, actually watching the film, that you realise Ayoade’s taken the care to glue the cards together, ensuring there’s never any real danger of Submarine’s glorious whole collapsing into its quirky little parts.

We follow 15-year-old Oliver Tate (a Frankenstein’s monster of idiosyncrasies) as he attempts to fix his parents’ faltering marriage whilst pursuing eczema-suffering pyromaniac Jordana. The film intersperses teenage milestones with daydreams, memories and non-sequiturs in an attempt to submerge us in Oliver’s stream of consciousness.

Our protagonist (played by Craig Roberts) is more than a little strange: think Damien-from-the-Omen-lookalike with a liking for briefcase harnesses and industrial estates. There are moments when Oliver’s bizarre habits and alternative nature grate, but ultimately he proves to be utterly compelling. Impressively, his reactions to events never cease to feel plausible: breaking into a neighbour’s house and pissing on his belongings never seemed more rational. Roberts is incredible in the role, using his impressive comic talents to bring a hilariously bumbling nature to Oliver’s often painful obtuseness, ensuring that, despite everything, the audience stays firmly on his side.

The rest of the cast are similarly strong: Yasmin Paige is pitch-perfect as the guarded but incredibly vulnerable Jordana, whilst Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor are fantastic as Oliver’s long-suffering parents. Paddy Considine deserves a special mention as the ninja-next-door, whose comic acting is only outshone by his enormous mullet. (There are a few surprises in the cast too: those feeling eagle-eyed can indulge in a game of spot-the-Ben-Stiller-cameo.)

Ayoade skilfully renders Oliver’s own peculiar perspective on the world onscreen, whether capturing his memories in Super 8 or using wonderfully overblown sound effects whenever the teen’s dramatic tendencies kick in. There are a few cases – such as when characters are projected against a black backdrop – where the stylistic moments jar, but Oliver’s constant narration and the infrequent intertitles manage to hold everything together, giving the film some semblance of structure. The film’s scrapbook style gives it a strong identity and undeniable charm, something only strengthened by Alex Turner’s soundtrack which complements the action without ever drawing focus.

Chances are, you’ve already seen Submarine. If you haven’t – and if I’ve somehow not been explicit enough – then go: if not to see an intelligent, sensitive and beautiful film that manages to be hilarious without ever making concessions for comedy’s sake, then to ensure that there’s one more person in the world who doesn’t list Ayoade’s primary achievement as being Moss from The IT Crowd.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IVFfiv6wpY