I like to think, with the exception of remakes mind you, that I have an open mind when it comes to movies. However, when I saw the trailer for “Submarine” I was not really impressed at all. It looked like any standard artsy, French (I thought it was French for some odd reason.), boring, coming-of-age dramedy. But when I was at the video store, it was either this or “Fast Five”. So naturally I went with “Submarine”. What I got was unexpected laughs.
“Submarine” is about a young British (Where did I get French from?) boy who falls for an odd quirky girl. At the same time, he’s trying to keep his parents from getting a divorce.
Yes, this screams Indie dramedy. But what separates this from most Indie dramedies, is that this movie is hilarious. I was laughing all the way through this film. It seemed, for the most part, no matter how dark or serious the situation was, the comedy never lets up. Craig Roberts was fine and he was surrounded by a good supporting cast. The exchange between Roberts and his parents was priceless. And I thought the directing by Richard Ayoade had a certain freshness. I’m looking forward seeing more from Ayoade.
As for the bad? Well it got a little sappy at the end, but it’s forgivable since the rest of the film was hysterical. I do wish the film would have kept its edge towards the end, but what can you do? However that sound track was atrocious. The movie takes place in the 80’s, yet the soundtrack has that current Indie folk-pop sound. It was horrible.
Overall, I’d recommend this movie. It was a pleasant surprise. If British humor isn’t your thing, I’m sure they have extra copies of “Fast Five” for ya’.
-Daniel Richardson