Submarine

(Richard Ayoade/2010/UK & USA)

Shamelessly mimicking 60’s Godard, right down to the blue and red inter scene titles but meshed with a quirky, Wes Anderson-esque aesthetic this coming of age story manages to transcend its reference points and carve out its own charming niche of adolescent cinema. It’s a story about a boy and a girl and their discovery of the realities of love and relationships. The trajectory is nothing new, a refusal to accept the inconsistencies of the world around them leading to shared rebellion before it all goes wrong and a new understanding and acceptance of life’s rough edges dawns. The characters are well drawn, eccentric and “hip” with superlative acting throughout. Submarine wears its pretensions on its sleeve and carries off an at times pointedly dry wit but is unafraid to go for straight forward gags too. Neither is it afraid to present the naked sentiment of two teenagers trying to make sense of their place in the world and some of the scenes around the run down industrial port are beautiful for this reason. You should, by the end, have warmed to Oliver and Jordana and enjoy the trip they take from naivety to slightly less naive.

(3/5)