He is the protagonist of Richard Ayoade's "Submarine," a coming-of-age tale of self-discovery -- or, as one lad mistakenly puts it in one of the first scenes, "wanking." It is a dramedy of sorts, meandering elegantly between deadpan quirkiness and well-observed human drama. It is a teen angst indie, and is distinctively British in nature.
Oliver lives in Swansea, Wales, with his neurotic mother, Jill (Sally Hawkins, "Made in Dagenham"), and semi-depressed lame duck of a father, Lloyd (Noah Taylor, "Red, White & Blue"). He is besotted with fellow student Jordana Bevan (Yasmin Paige, "The Sarah Jane Adventures"), a rebellious pyromaniac who wears a rosy red coat and smokes cigarettes.
Through close observation (checking the dimness of his parents' bedroom light), he has noticed that his mother and father's relationship is slipping. This is not helped by what looks to be his mother's affair with new neighbour and old flame Graham (Paddy Considine, "Hot Fuzz"), a mystical life coach with a freaky hairstyle who Oliver mistakes for a ninja.
Coming to terms with responsibility, Oliver sees it as his job to fix mum and dad's marriage through stalking and letter-writing. Meanwhile, he attempts to lose his virginity to Jordana, sparking a relationship with her and trying to sustain it without emotions, which Jordana calls "gay."
"Submarine" is writer-director Ayoade's debut feature film, based on the 2008 book of the same name by Joe Dunthorne. Mr. Ayoade will be known to most as the character Moss off Channel 4's "The IT Crowd" -- yes, he's the four-eyed nerd with the checkered shirts and side-parted afro. The English comedian shows here that he is undoubtedly a man of many talents, crafting his directorial debut with a passion rarely seen in the realms of filmmaking.
He writes and directs "Submarine" with visual and aural wit, the film impressive in both its dialogue and camerawork. The camera moves in such a way that it enhances the emotions unfolding on-screen -- Oliver placing his hand on his mother's shoulder and telling her his father still wants to make love to her is given comedic weight by the camera's sudden movement, bringing us closer to the pair. The camera slowly approaches characters who are in front of a black background as they recite letters they have written. This helps in making "Submarine" truly engaging and enthralling despite its deliberately slack, character-based narrative.
Ayoade's script is a self-referential slice of genius, handing us a constant narration by its adolescent main character. Oliver's mind practically takes us through the entire film as we listen to his thoughts and observations, opinions and motivations, wishes and memories. We go through his experiences with him, taking interest in every single aspect of his teenage life.
He is a boy who is just beginning to grow up, feeling the pressure of responsibility and basking in it. He makes it his aim to fix things that would regularly be deemed none of his business -- he tries to tape together a semi-broken marriage, halt a possible affair, make Jordana emotionally secure and rid Jordana's mother of a brain tumour. It is this that makes "Submarine" a true coming-of-age film; Oliver is becoming an adult, losing his virginity and is taking on responsibilities he feels are his when they are not.
The film could best be described as a collage of the style of Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums," "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou") and a British edge, mixed in with a hint of French new wave. However, it is fresh and rejuvenating in execution, making for a film that feels original, unique and very much inspired.
The ill-informed will label "Submarine" as pretentious -- I label it as outstanding. Handling its topic with wit and gravitas, "Submarine" is visually bewitching and thematically fascinating. Richard Ayoade has crafted a film that is deeply funny and authentically sad, telling a tale of growing up and discovering one's self, aka wanking. Who’d have thought this would come from the socially inept keyboard-puncher off “The IT Crowd”?
10/10
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