Genres

Visitors Review

thecinemapass 2012-05-23 19:47:29

most original film you will see for along time

If I was only allowed to recommend one film from the year so far, thiswould be it. Submarine documents the coming of age story of OliverTate, who is trying to lose his virginity before he turns 16 and keephis parents from splitting up.Although this is Richard Ayoade's debut feature film it is incrediblycinematic, with its picturesque shots of rural Wales and the use ofSuper-8 mm film, there isn't much Ayoade is afraid to do. The onlydownside to this film is the first half is a little boring as it ismerely an introduction to the characters and situation. The second halfis where the characters start to come out and you really start to enjoythe film.Like a lot of coming of age stories not much happens, but despite ofthis it is hilarious and you would be an idiot not to like it.read more reviews like this at www.thecinemapass.blogspot.com

kosmasp 2012-05-22 21:39:22

Surface

We have a new director talent. Though he's not that new (has done someTV work and shorts and stuff of course), this is the first featurelength movie he has done (apart of a documentary apparently). And whilepeople start comparing him to other directors (namely EMPIRE Magazineand so on), hopefully you will go into this open minded and just enjoythe movie as it is.Noah Tyler (a guy I really first discovered with Red White & Blue,shame on me) and his film wife Sally Hawkins are just amazing. Thedialogue is great and the delivery by the actors superb. The wit, thecomedy, everything works. I am almost tempted to say "instant classic"... though I would be the first to slap myself. People shouldn't beallowed to say that. But this movie is really good. It had a few minorthings (one or two pacing "problems", but minor and maybe not evenworth mentioning) or flaws if you will, but this is one comedy thatshould be for your consideration ...

billcr12 2012-05-22 09:11:58

Quirky and worthwhile film

Most teen romance coming-of-age movies are completely predictable,especially the American ones. High school student, Oliver Tate, asplayed by Craig Roberts, reminded of an equally quirky Dustin Hoffmanin "The Graduate." He wanders throughout this comedy with a wisdom fargreater than those around him. He spies on his very strange mother &father and tries to keep a relationship with his girlfriend,Jordana(Yasmin Paige) going with very mixed results.Writer-Director Richard Ayoade does a great job of keeping the pacemoving with no wasted moments & a dialogue that is both witty &believable at the same time. If you are in the mood for a film which will make you smile and evenbring back some childhood memories, this a perfect choice; Ayoade is tobe commended for a wonderful movie & I eagerly await his next project.

2012-05-21 23:35:42

Is Whales a county in England?

This review is from: Submarine (Amazon Instant Video) The women in this movie could have had far larger breasts and there was not a single high speed car chase or explosion.An American!P.S. - Why haven't we invaded Whales yet? We could make far more covering the county with strip malls then we will ever make concurring Iraq and Afghanistan.

tullawulla 2012-05-19 13:37:05

great 'film'

This movie is very much in the mould of Harold and Maud which gavebirth to Rushmore etc. There's no standout player in the cast, it wouldbe unfair to isolate anyone. You could transfer this screenplay tostage;in fact it may fair better in this medium.Please see this movie, Richard Ayoade has made a fantastic first film.It's so refreshing to not have the typical quirky foppish Britishcomedy flouncing about. It's a truly insightful piece of work.If you have seen any of the afore mentioned films you may find thispiece is treading on a path already crafted. Whereas Harold and Maudshows the birth of a 'man' Submarine never quite captures that change,there's little conviction. It's possibly down to the internal dialogue;it's lack of counterbalance.

Jackson Booth-Millard 2012-05-19 05:53:58

Submarine

I should say that the only sign of anything to do with a submarine ison posters and other small visual appearances, but of course the reasonI wanted to see this was because it was the directorial debut of The ITCrowd star Richard Ayoade, with Ben Stiller producing. Basicallyfifteen year old Swansea boy Oliver Tate (Being Human's Craig Roberts)believes he is popular in school and an unequalled genius, when he isin fact socially alienated and pretty much ignored. He is in love withstraight-talking classmate Jordana Bevan (Yasmin Paige) and tries a fewthings to impress her, and she does ask him one day to meet her afterschool, and she forces him to have a photo taken of them kissing. Thisturns out to be something to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, and itbackfires, with Oliver getting beaten up as a consequence, but she goesback to him and they hold hands and kiss, seemingly like they are nowboyfriend and girlfriend. Oliver is concerned and suspicious about hisparents, mother Jill (Sally Hawkins) possibly being flirted with andseduced by new age guru ex-boyfriend Graham Purvis (The BourneUltimatum's Paddy Considine), and his father Lloyd (Charlie and theChocolate Factory's Noah Taylor) suffering depression. The relationshipbetween him and Jordana is growing, but then he finds out her motherhas a brain tumour that could kill her, he considers killing her dogwith poison to make it less painful. Unsettled by seeing her fatherbreak down Oliver decides being in love with Jordana is risky becauseof all the emotional "gooey" stuff, so he cuts off contact from herthinking it will help her, he is being unknowingly cruel. He tries tomend things between his parents, and following his mother and Graham toa beach he sees Jordana with a new boyfriend, and heartbroken he alsosuspects the worst with his mother and Graham. After breaking in,getting drunk and vandalising Graham's house, he is found by Graham butwith no fuss made, and he wakes up to see his parents not angry withhim and making up with each other, but his mother does admit to givingGraham a handjob. Oliver is still distraught about losing Jordana, andshe doesn't seem interested in hearing him explain, but he does see heragain after weeks of sulking. The end sees him explain his actions, shehas broken up with her boyfriend, she is angry with him, but sheseemingly forgives him, as she tests him to see if he will walk intothe sea alongside her, and they make up. Also starring Darren Evans asChips, Gemma Chan as Kim-Lin, Lily McCann as Zoe Preece, Steffan Rhodrias Mr. Davey and Melanie Walters as Jude Bevan. Roberts makes a greatyoung lead, Paige is also good as his girlfriend, the adult actors alldo their parts well too, I'm sure many teenagers can relate to the maincharacter, thinking they are everything they claim but are actuallynot, it is both funny, well scripted and well adapted (from the book)coming-of-age comedy drama. Good!

2012-05-11 04:27:00

Good at times, dull at others

Literally the perfect movie. Hilarious and moving. Every single shot of the movie is just as good as the last. The only problem I have with it is that I couldn't understand everything that was said, so I'll probly watch it once through with subtitles when it comes out on blu ray.Cannot wait for more richard ayoade movies.

2012-05-10 09:39:23

An interesting coming of age story

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Equally bittersweet, melancholy, funny, and of course the nebulous and lazy word used to describe movies such as this, quirky, Submarine is ultimately quite good and touching if a bit derivative. In fact, when the film frees itself from the self-conscious "quirkiness" (again, I really dislike that term but it does fit in this case) of its first half and delves deeper into its emotional core, it improves a great deal. Written and directed by Richard Ayoade from the book by Joe Dunthorne, Submarine tells the story of Oliver Tate, a sensitive, intelligent, slightly nerdy, verbose, affected, solitary teenager dealing with his first real relationship and the possibility of his parents' marriage ending.While not the most original premise, Submarine does manage to find its own voice eventually but still manages to wear its influences on its sleeve. The most obvious is of course Wes Anderson, right down to the nonspecific time period (the older technology seems to put the film in the 80s, but there's nothing that specifically anchors it there). The Welsh setting is used well to give the film a distinct identity, and the cinematography really showcases the beautiful landscape. Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys provides original songs whose melancholy beauty matches the film's tone perfectly.The cast is uniformly good. Craig Roberts keeps Oliver sympathetic with just the right amount of confidence, vulnerability, and charm. Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins are perfectly understated as Oliver's depressed father and conflicted mother. Paddy Considine manages to find some depth in his somewhat thankless and ridiculous role as a psychic guru. Yasmin Paige plays Oliver's aloof, somewhat inscrutable love interest Jordana. Both character and actress are a good counter-balance to Oliver. While this is Oliver's story, Jordana has well-defined motivations and is a fully developed character, not the typical poorly drawn object of affection usually seen in films like this. She's no manic pixie dream girl and how Oliver believably, although regrettably, reacts to her character's situation later in the film, along with Oliver's bond with his father, is the heart of the film.

2012-05-03 20:17:41

a black comedy that's not for everyone

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Submarine is the type of black comedy that takes you by surprise. The protagonist, Oliver, played by Craig Roberts from the Being Human spin-off webshow, is not a nice character, nor is he likeable, and yet, the audience continues to watch his progress throughout this film. to say that the protagonist learns something throughout the ideal is to attempt to apply the regular Hollywood formula onto this film. Such a superstition would be a mistake. This is a movie that doesn't predictably go where you'd expect, but that is not where it's funny bone lies. The humor in this film is that, like in life, one never knows where our paths may lead us. Due in part to the sensibility of Roberts, as well as the witty dialogue, this film leaves an impression on you. My favorite scene is when Oliver asks each of his parents who they are more likely to save in a fire - him or the other parent. The answer may surprise you. But what is more surprising is the kind of revelation that leads to about each character, their storyarc, and the viewer. Go ahead, I dare you to ask that question of your loved ones. The answer may also surprise you.

MovieStyle 2012-05-03 00:59:20

An incredible film by a visionary director!

Submarine has recently become my favourite film of all time. I did notsee it in cinemas because i kept putting it off although when it cameout on DVD I was ready for it! The film was directed by Richard Ayoadewho is an Indie cult film fan of which you can tell that in hisdirecting style. It is shot beautifully and i am not the only one whothinks so because submarine has opened up another window for him seeingas has now teamed up with Jesse Eisenberg for a film coming out maybenext year. Craig Roberts was very believable as the nervous keep tohimself teen.It's a witty, clever and beautifully made comedy.

Andrew Marshall 2012-05-02 07:59:34

Growing Pains

I have to confess that this is the type of film that I always tend towarm to. If you are into off-beat films then Submarine should be a filmthat you make time to see at the cinema.The film follows the growing pains of Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) whois a rather awkward teenager at school. He is the lone child of adysfunctional marriage between Lloyd and Jill. His mother is on thebrink of an affair with a former lover Graham which Oliver vows tostop. Oliver is also trying to lose his virginity by his next birthdayand is lusting after Jordana (Yasmin Paige) at school.I'm of an age where I saw Gregory's Girl as a teenager and this is verymuch in the same mould. Tate and Paige are excellent and the film isvery nicely played by all involved. There was a couple of excellentdream sequence scenes and it was enjoyable throughout. Although I couldrelate to Oliver throughout I wasn't wholly convinced about theconclusion of the film. Maybe I'm just a heartless old cynic nowadaysthough!

2012-05-01 16:05:49

Coming of age in Wales, sweet and quirky

This somewhat sweet, somewhat creepy coming of age movie is worth watching for its quirky humor and for the sincere acting of its young cast. It is set in South Wales in the mid-1980s. By way of local color, there are some nice shots of the seashore, the hills, the local junkyards and railway depots and deserted industrial plants.We meet Oliver, a somewhat thoughtful, somewhat geeky kid of around 15 anxious to avoid bullying, if necessary by joining in against even more vulnerable targets. His love interest is Jordana, a cute classmate with an independent streak. Both of them have problems at home.Oliver's parents are bizarre, each in their own way. His father seems to be in the grip of clinical depression; his mother is obviously frustrated and somewhat attracted by a creepy neighbor who practices a form of "new age" therapy to do with light. Both are hopelessly awkward and inept with their son.We learn later that Jordana's mother may die of a brain tumor, though when we meet her, she seems amazingly healthy. This is one aspect of the plot that totally fails to work.Oliver earns Jordana's respect when he submits to a beating for refusing to call her a "massive slut". But then he loses it by failing to show up at the hospital where her mother has just undergone surgery. The two break up -- and we watch Oliver try to go through the painful mournful process we all go through when our first love affair dies. At the same time, he makes increasingly desperate and ill-judged attempts to save his parents' marriage.In the end, all these matters are resolved and the characters walk off into the sunset.I quite enjoyed it, my wife did not. I think it's worth watching on an evening when there's nothing on the TV and when you can't stand yet another reality show.

2012-04-29 08:06:52

A prominent thinker who suffered from unspeakable loss

This review is from: Submarine (Amazon Instant Video) The first half of the movie is one of the funniest I have ever seen. The second half is fairly depressing but,because of the first, this is one of my new all time favorites. I think it's one of those movies you'll either love or hate but, if you enjoy dry indie films, you should love it. Unsure? "Dear Jordana, thank you for letting me explore your perfect body. I could drink your blood, you're the only person I would allow to be shrunken down to a microscopic size and swim inside me in a tiny submersible machine. we've lost our virginity but it wasn't like losing anything. You're too good for me, you're too good for anyone. Sincerely, Oliver."

2012-04-28 14:30:42

WRY, SLY & OFF-CENTER COMING OF AGE

This wry, sly, acerbic and often off-center coming of age story is the best UK indie import I've seen in a long time. Stylishly directed by British comic Richard Ayoade, the story revolves around a quirky, precocious, sometimes mordant teen (Craig Roberts) who works at impressing a semi-pretty classmate in his seaside Welsh village while simultaneously attempting to save his coolly remote parents' marriage. Dramatic and funny, this great looking film perfectly conveys the awkwardness of adolescence as well as it's fleeting rewards. I love these "English Village" movies with their dark humor. If this is your cup of tea, check out TAMARA DREWE, KEEPING MUM and UNDERTAKING BETTY.

chaz-28 2012-04-24 20:31:18

First half shows promise, but second half sinks it

Submarine was adapted from a novel and directed by a British comic,Richard Ayoade. It is set in Wales in the mid-80s but the year isn'ttoo important; you only know it is the '80s because of a reference tothe new movie Crocodile Dundee. The main character who provides a lotof voice over narration is Oliver Tate, a 15 year old high schoolstudent who is quite adept at analyzing his popularity status andvarious options in wooing girls. The film has a Rushmore vibe, butOliver Tate is no Max Fischer. The majority of the plot is an ellipsisaround two poles, Oliver nurtures the beginnings of a relationship withthe feisty Jordana and he suspects his mother of infidelity with thenew next door neighbor who wears black leather pants and proclaimshimself a mystic. Oliver does not balance these two 'problems' verywell and the pole involving his mother's suspected infidelity feelsforced and trite. I do not recognize the two actors who play Oliver and Jordana, CraigRoberts and Yasmin Paige, but I suppose if you watch TV in Britain youwill. The poster has a large "Ben Stiller Presents" at the top of it sothe film has star-backing and I even think he makes a cameo but itwould be very hard to see him. Submarine is slated for a 10 June U.S.release but I am not recommending this movie; go watch Rushmore again.

dbborroughs 2012-04-24 07:05:45

Just okay. The sort of film you'll forget soon after seeing.

Oer hyped and over sold by several people I know as the next big thing,this is a sweet little film that probably won't be remembered in a fewweeks.The plot of the film has Oliver Tate trying to navigate life: Ie.School, a girlfriend, and the rough patch in his parents marriage.It's a well acted tale that frequently looks stunning in the faux filmsthat Tate imagines his life is transpiring in.The trouble with the film is that it's trying way too hard to be hipand happening and most deadly of all quirky. I have not read the novelupon this is based but I would hate to think the book is as much a WesAnderson knock off as this film is. It's as if the director stole abunch of Anderson's tropes, his song score and credit style and wentfor it.The result is a film that flashes with brilliance now and again, butalso crashes and burns just as often. For example the songs work. Theorchestral score (which rips off any number of classical pieces)doesn't. We also have a lead character who is alternately charming, anda complete jerk.I liked it but I didn't love it and as my friend said in a couple ofweeks I'll be hard pressed to remember what the film was all about.A word of warning the promotional material mentions what the film isabout (say trying to lose virginity before a birthday)but none of it isin the film or is a fleeting moment that doesn't mean anything- sodon't expect what they are telling you the film is all about.

2012-04-21 10:23:29

One of Those Quirky Coming-of-Age Tales -but without the Sappiness.

"Submarine" is a coming-of-age dramedy set in Wales of the 1980s, narrated by its 15-year-old protagonist Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts). This is one of those rare cases where voiceover narration is not superfluous. Oliver is a socially awkward, introverted, slightly odd young man confronted with two challenges: getting a girlfriend and preventing his parents' relationship from disintegrating. Pretty mundane stuff and common grist for independent films. I've seen it all before -too many times. But Oliver and his annoying girlfriend and sweetly unhappy parents grew on me. This is Richard Ayoade's first feature film, which he wrote and directed, based on Joe Dunthorne's 2008 novel. He just hits the right notes. The trick is that Ayoade is not afraid to let Oliver be a selfish jerk.Oliver has his sights on his mildly pyromaniacal classmate Jordana (Yasmin Paige), and his plan is to win her over by bullying a chubby girl, which he thinks Jordana will find amusing. She does -then she tries to use Oliver to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. At least Oliver gets the girl. Then he wonders what he is going to do with her. Meanwhile, his "naturally neurotic" mother Jill (Sally Hawkins) is feeling lonely and frustrated in the face of his depressed, dweeby father Lloyd (Noah Taylor). Jill's old flame Graham (Paddy Considine), now a new age guru, has moved in next door, providing Jill an outlet for her emotions...and possibly and end to her marriage. But Oliver is determined not to let that happen.Oliver tends to do all the wrong things. And not because he's hapless and loveable. He does the wrong things on purpose. He's selfish and odd. I must give him credit for never doing the obvious. But there's something endearing about him after a while. His quiet determination is reflected in the film's tone. Although the parents are peripheral characters, I found them the most sympathetic. They're patient with their son and ultimately with each other. The DVD (Anchor Bay 2011) bonus features are 9 deleted or extended scenes and "The Making of Submarine" (11 min), featuring interviews with the cast and director in which they discuss the characters, making the film, and working with one another. Subtitles for the film available in English SDH and Spanish.

come2whereimfrom 2012-04-21 04:10:03

Great little movie.

Set at an undisclosed time in the eighties 'Submarine' is a Welshcoming of age comedy/drama. Directed by Richard Ayoade (Moss from theI.T. Crowd among others) you can tell, as with other directors such asJoe Cornish (Adam & Joe show to Attack the Block), Edgar Wright (Spacedto Shaun of the Dead) and Paul King (The Mighty Boosh to Bunny and theBull), that cutting his teeth on the small screen certainly helped withthe leap to the big. Using some interesting techniques that never snapyou out of the idyllic setting the warmth of the story and thecharacters (particularly Paddy as guru Graham Purvis who is clearlyjust having fun with the role and Noah Taylor who managers to portrayso much with so little as Oliver's dad Lloyd) propel the film alongwith expert pacing. The music by Arctic Monkeys front man Alex Turnerfits really well and is some of the best he's done. Like 'The Squid andthe Whale' meets an episode of much loved sitcom 'The Secret diary ofAdrian Mole' it should see, not only the unknown cast, but the directorgo on to bigger and better things. A film that everyone involved in canrightfully be proud of.

davidm_1 2012-04-17 02:22:43

Excellent

This film wasn't showing at my local cinema so I had to travel to seeit. I wish it had a more widespread release because it really deservesit. This film is clever, touching, witty and gloriously refreshing. For acomedy it sets a somewhat gloomy tone, which could even becomedepressing, but this is constantly pierced by the brilliantly deliveredquirky humour. It is beautifully shot and edited and is a remarkabledirectorial debut from Richard Ayoade (a very promising debut for CraigRoberts, as Oliver Tate, too). I'm not sure how far from the novel thishas been adapted by Ayoade but credit must go to Joe Dunthorne for agreat piece of writing. The film features some wonderful lines,particularly in Oliver's internal dialogue.Before seeing the film, I expected the songs provided by Alex Turner tobe somewhat of a gimmick, a name on a poster to draw viewers, but I wasdelightful mistaken. They are dotted throughout and are a really niceaspect of the film, complimenting what is happening on screenwonderfully. Submarine is a fantastic film but it feels like Ayoade has a lot moreto give, and that is not critical in the slightest. I'm extremelyexcited to see what he comes up with next.

napierslogs 2012-04-16 20:02:37

Fresh, funny and twisted turns to this quirky coming-of-age tale

"Submarine" is Welsh. It opens, at least in North America it does, witha letter from its protagonist (Oliver) to Americans; educating us thatWales is a country located next to England. Although thankful thatAmerica has not yet invaded his country, Oliver informs us that this isan important film which we should treat with the utmost respect.Don't worry, it's okay to laugh; you're supposed to. This is a teencoming-of-age comedy. Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is like a young,Welsh hero of a Wes Anderson film. Gangly and awkward he struggles withpopularity in school, but when he imagines his own funeral, the entirecountry mourns. He bullies one girl to try and impress another but thenwrites a long letter not so much repenting his guilt but teaching herhow to be cool. The dialogue, like Oliver, is precocious but hilariouswith a surprisingly fresh feel considering how tired the genre hasbecome.Oliver tries to win the girl and become the best boyfriend in theworld, and he also has to be the best son in the world to save hisparents' marriage. In both adventures, he uses psychology books(usually found in routine searches of his parents' bedroom) to ensurehis actions accurately reflect his intentions. If you can guess how hisplans may go awry, then you are the right audience for this very funnyfilm.His father, Lloyd (Noah Taylor) is a depressed marine biologist, whilehis mother Jill (Sally Hawkins) is inappropriately attracted to theirneighbour, an old boyfriend of hers. He's a mystic, theatricalperformer, and Oliver and Lloyd are the only ones that see it for thenonsense that it is. Lloyd is like a grown-up, Welsh hero of a WesAnderson film and I loved how they included the father of theprotagonist as a main character and showed that although he was moremature, still not any more in tune with the ways of the world aroundhim.It has some slightly dark twists, but "Submarine" succeeds because itnever lets up the humour or the quirky tone. Funny? Yes. Important? No,but I certainly get the joke.Follow my blog Napierslogs' Movie Expositions athttp://napierslogs.blogspot.com