Submarine

Fifteen-year-old Oliver Tate (Craig Oliver) is not your typical average teenager. At least Oliver himself is convinced of that. While the other kids in his class spend their time at parties, Oliver prefers to walk alone on the beach in his Welsh home of Swansea and hang out with his thoughts. This, he is convinced, makes him intellectually superior to his classmates. When he decides to try to seduce Jordana (Yasmin Paige), who also seems to be a very special individual, Oliver finds, however, that he still has a lot to learn about life. And his attempts to save his parents' (Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor) marriage with the help of his cunning thoughts also prove to be more difficult than Oliver imagined.

Richard Ayoade, best known as nerd Moss from the cult comedy series The IT Crowd, has delivered a wonderful directorial debut with Submarine, the film adaptation of the novel Submarine - I, Oliver Tate by Joe Denthorne. With a blend of quiet humour and understated drama, Ayoade takes a charming look at life's adversities from the point of view of a teenager who, on one hand, is still a child but, on the other, believes he is ready to grow up.

Scored by songs by Alex Turner, for whose band Arcitc Monkeys Ayoade had already directed several music videos, and immersed in atmospheric images of the beautiful Welsh countryside, the film has a certain tenderness that is perfectly complemented by the dry British wit. Moreover, in Craig Oliver and Yasmin Paige, two great actors were found for the two supporting roles, and despite the somewhat artificial nature of their characters, they come across as absolutely natural and authentic.

The only criticism that could be levelled at Submarine is that at moments the film tries too hard to be different and quirky, pretending to be more sophisticated than it actually is. On the other hand, that could be exactly how it's intended, since the production is so right in line with the character of its main character, Oliver Tate. Oliver also believes to be something special, better than his peers. And yet he is also just a normal teenager with the same flaws and fears that plague his peers.

Among the adult cast, Paddy Considine in particular stands out with his courage to be ugly. Not only his hairstyle, but also his performance leaves a lasting impression. But even though the adult protagonists are well cast, the film clearly belongs to the youngsters. And even though there have been and will be countless films about the difficulties of living with puberty, Submarine is a little gem within the genre with its endearing production and good actors. From Oliver's somewhat stilted seduction ambitions, the love letters he writes to his mother on behalf of his father, to his cavalier attempt to protect Jordana's honor, watching him stumble through life is just plain fun. Especially since the film never makes fun of its characters or their problems. So if you like British comedies of the quieter, more whimsical kind and want to relive the horror of adolescence in a completely enchanting way, then Richard Ayoade's directorial debut is definitely not to be missed.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp