Submarine

It starts well but soon deteriorates. The narrator and lead is practically indistinguishable from Adrian Mole and whilst this could be deployed as a strength it actually turns out to be a weakness. There is something inherently funny about the seriousness of teenage earnestness but the development in this film strays into mawkishness and constantly fails to capitalise on the comedic potential of the story. Time passes pleasantly enough whilst watching the film but leaves you feeling unsatisfied. It's neither sufficiently quirky to be endearing nor funny enough to be worthwhile as an outright comedy. It's well acted and uses some interesting visual approaches to convey its message but none of them carry conviction. It would pass muster as a TV special but isn't good enough to warrant a theatrical release. Must try harder.

Funding for this film was provided by the UK Film Council, which was abolished by the government in 2010. I can't help but wonder if that decision was taken after members of the government saw Submarine and concluded the money could be put to better use. It just goes to show that even governments can get it right occasionally. Submarine is billed as a comedy/drama/romance. If there is an amusing line in this film, I must have missed it. A drama? I don't think so! The characters are far too ludicrous to be taken seriously. A romance? The relationship between 15 year old Oliver Tate and the raven haired Jordana does hold some interest but in the end, the rest of the film defeats it. Ultimately, Submarine appears to have been framed with cult status in mind but its attempts to be clever and eccentric are far too obvious and heavy handed. It should be allowed to sink without a trace.

I was excited to watch this movie but I was truly disappointed. This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The characters were horrible people and the storyline was cringy and dull.

Wow.....I saw this movie today in a sneak preview, so I saw the movie without any expectations and completely neutral......it was really the worst movie I have seen for a long time! For me the whole movie does not make any sense, yeah we have this poor little boy who lives in a dream world and has crazy parents, but c'mon these people act like complete retards.....also the plot is completely weird and don't say the movie is profound and realistic....its just typical art stuff which is sexist and gets you depressed. I was just sitting in the cinema and closed my eyes and hopped the movie would end soon. At the end most of the nearly 200 visitors were completely disappointed, some said the movie was OK, but the majority really didn't like the movie! So please don't say its a special and profound movie when its just a crazy weird sexist nonsense story!

Most teen romance coming-of-age movies are completely predictable, especially the American ones. High school student, Oliver Tate, as played by Craig Roberts, reminded of an equally quirky Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate." He wanders throughout this comedy with a wisdom far greater than those around him. He spies on his very strange mother & father and tries to keep a relationship with his girlfriend, Jordana(Yasmin Paige) going with very mixed results. Writer-Director Richard Ayoade does a great job of keeping the pace moving with no wasted moments & a dialogue that is both witty & believable at the same time. If you are in the mood for a film which will make you smile and even bring back some childhood memories, this a perfect choice; Ayoade is to be commended for a wonderful movie & I eagerly await his next project.