Film Review: Submarine [dir: Richard Ayoade; 2010]

Teenage boys struggling with relationships and awkward family situations aren't exactly under-represented on the silver screen, but Richard Ayoade manages to find a novel way of presenting this familiar subject in Submarine, a film which will surely walk away with this year's Best Comedic Use Of Laconic Welsh Accents award. In the form of Oliver Tate, the movie gives us a memorable, angst-ridden (and hormone-riddled) adolescent, desperate to find a way of connecting with the sardonic object of his affections whilst trying to rescue his parents' marriage. Ayoade stamps his own mark on proceedings by indulging in all manner of audio-visual wizardry: freeze frames, non-realistic use of sound, garish colours etc. More often than not, the tricks work well, successfully underscoring the drama. But at times they're unnecessary and merely highlight the fact that what really makes this film work is the endearing characters, the superb performances (there are no weak links in the cast) and the simple, absorbing story. Thoroughly entertaining, although it doesn't quite know how to end.