Tuesday, April 10, 2012

submarine

i don't remember where i were going but the flight was a good one because of this atypical teen comedy. thanks to singapore airlines' good selection of inflight movies, i caught a movie that did not star hollywoodish and heroic leads - submarine. the movie is a subtle comedy, successful in becoming a quirky yet charming account of oliver's teenage years. it threads oliver's trying to date jordana and the subsequent relationship between them, as well as oliver's aim of rekindling the dying romance between his parents.

another coming-of-age story, yes. but i like its low key approach and accessible comic feeling. issues of growing up were captured, excitement and idealism, as well as insecurity and some amount of depression. like most british comedies, deadpan humor is the deal. there were lines such as, "my mum gave a hand job to a mystic", which of course can go ignored altogether. central to the movie's success is craig roberts' oliver tate. his imaginative and unusual schoolboy scrutinizes almost everything, even bring into play parodied movies and fictional events. aside from evident gags, oliver tate's voice over and dealings supplied the spot on comedy.

oliver tate: in many ways I prefer my own company, it gives me time to think.

oliver tate: most people think of themselves as individuals, that there's no one on the planet like them.


richard ayoade's superb story, screenplay and direction provided a touching piece which fortunately did not flit into schmaltziness. the score by arctic monkey's alex turner and the very good framing of comic and beautiful images, as well as the pitch-perfect performances all made the movie a worthwhile fare.

in the end, oliver did not get the happily ever after result. but he did get just enough happiness, which is what is important anyway.

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