Submarine (2010 film)
Encyclopedia
Submarine is a 2010 coming-of-age comedy-drama
film adapted from the 2008 novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne. The film was written and directed by Richard Ayoade
and stars Craig Roberts
, Yasmin Paige
, Sally Hawkins
, Noah Taylor
and Paddy Considine
. Submarine is Ayoade's directorial debut.
) is a 15 year-old Swansea
boy in 1986 who is convinced that he is an unrivalled genius who is widely loved by his classmates, when in fact he is pretentious and socially alienated. He is in love with a mischievous but straight-talking girl named Jordana (Paige
) in his year, and goes as far as bullying an overweight classmate to impress her. One day she invites him to meet secretly after school, instructing him to bring a Polaroid camera
and a diary. She takes pictures of them kissing, but it turns out to be a plan to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. The plan backfires, the two are publicly bullied, and Oliver is beaten up for refusing to call Jordana a "massive slut". Walking home after their ordeal, she takes his hand and they kiss, and Oliver quickly establishes Jordana as his girlfriend.
At home, Oliver becomes concerned that the relationship and sex life of his parents is falling apart and that his dad (Taylor
) is depressed. Worse yet, new age guru Graham (Considine
), an ex-boyfriend of his mother's (Hawkins
), has moved in next door, and his seductive and flirtatious character is rousing Oliver's suspicions.
Meanwhile Oliver's relationship with Jordana is growing, but he learns that her mother has developed a potentially fatal brain tumour. Oliver considers poisoning Jordana's beloved dog to make the death of her mother less painful. Later, he attends an early Christmas dinner at Jordana's house and he witnesses her father break down. Unsettled, he decides that the Jordana he loves is at risk because the emotional events surrounding her will "make her gooey on the inside". He cuts off contact with Jordana because he thinks it will make her ordeal easier, an example of his unintentionally cruel and incompetent social methods.
Suspecting his mother and Graham are having an affair, and seeing that his father is depressed Oliver attempts to repair his parent's relationship. One night he finds that his mother and Graham have gone to the beach. He tracks them down there, and whilst searching for them on the crowded shore, sees Jordana with a new boyfriend. Heartbroken, he heads home, but on the way back, sees his mother with Graham, and assumes the worst. Enraged, he breaks into Graham's house, gets drunk, and commits minor acts of vandalism. When Graham comes home, he finds Oliver but returns him home with minimal fuss. The next morning, Oliver awakens to see that both his parents aren't angry with him, and are reconciling, although his mother admits that she gave Graham a handjob
.
However, Oliver is still distraught about losing Jordana and is unable to obtain an audience with her to explain his actions. Frustrated, he is downhearted for weeks, until he sees her on the beach. Running towards her he explains his actions, and learns that Jordana has broken up with her new boyfriend. Together they walk into the sea smiling at one another, it is hinted in this scene that the two resume their relationship together.
and Film4
. Principal photography began on 26 October 2009 and filming finished in December 2009. Andrew Hewitt
composed the score and musician Alex Turner
of Arctic Monkeys
contributed five songs.
and X Factor
contestant Lucie Jones were originally cast in the film but dropped out due to other commitments.
in September 2010. Following a generally positive reception it was picked up by The Weinstein Company
for a North American release. The film also played at the 54th London Film Festival in October 2010 and was played out of competition at the 27th Sundance Film Festival in January 2011. It was also screened along with 400 other films at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
the next month. It went on general release in the UK on 18 March.
. Critic Roger Ebert
gave the film 3/4 stars saying ""Submarine" isn't an insipid teen sex comedy. It flaunts some stylistic devices, such as titles and sections and self-aware narration, but it doesn't try too hard to be desperately clever. It's a self-confident work for the first-time director, Richard Ayoade, whose purpose I think is to capture that delicate moment in some adolescent lives when idealism and trust lead to tentative experiments. Because Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige are enormously likable in their roles, they win our sympathy and make us realize that too many movies about younger teenagers are filtered through the sensibility of more weathered minds."
, the Arctic Monkeys
frontman. It is his first effort as a solo artist. The soundtrack charted at 35 in the UK Album Chart.
The original score was composed by Andrew Hewitt
, long-time collaborator of Ayoade, recorded at Air Studios with The Composers Ensemble orchestra.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film adapted from the 2008 novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne. The film was written and directed by Richard Ayoade
Richard Ayoade
Richard Ellef Ayoade is a British comedian, actor, writer and director best known for his role as Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd.Ayoade was born an only child to a Norwegian mother, Dagny , and a Nigerian father, Layide Ade Laditi Ayoade. Ayoade studied at St...
and stars Craig Roberts
Craig Roberts
Craig Roberts is a Welsh actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of Oliver Tate in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film Submarine, and for playing the character Rio in The Story of Tracy Beaker.-Life and Career:...
, Yasmin Paige
Yasmin Paige
Yasmin Paige is an English actress who is best known for her role as Maria in The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spin-off from the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. Having acted and modelled since the age of four, she made her screen debut in the 2003 film Wondrous Oblivion...
, Sally Hawkins
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins is an English actress. Her performance as Poppy in the 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky won her several international awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy...
, Noah Taylor
Noah Taylor
Noah George Taylor is an English-born Australian actor.-Early life:Taylor, elder of two boys, was born in London, England, the son of Maggie, a journalist and book editor, and Paul Taylor, a copywriter and journalist. Taylor's Australian parents returned to Australia when he was five, and he grew...
and Paddy Considine
Paddy Considine
Patrick George "Paddy" Considine is an English actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, musician and frequent collaborator with Shane Meadows. Best known to audiences for his portrayals of dark, troubled, morally or mentally ambiguous characters...
. Submarine is Ayoade's directorial debut.
Plot
Oliver Tate (RobertsCraig Roberts
Craig Roberts is a Welsh actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of Oliver Tate in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film Submarine, and for playing the character Rio in The Story of Tracy Beaker.-Life and Career:...
) is a 15 year-old Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
boy in 1986 who is convinced that he is an unrivalled genius who is widely loved by his classmates, when in fact he is pretentious and socially alienated. He is in love with a mischievous but straight-talking girl named Jordana (Paige
Yasmin Paige
Yasmin Paige is an English actress who is best known for her role as Maria in The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spin-off from the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. Having acted and modelled since the age of four, she made her screen debut in the 2003 film Wondrous Oblivion...
) in his year, and goes as far as bullying an overweight classmate to impress her. One day she invites him to meet secretly after school, instructing him to bring a Polaroid camera
Instant camera
The instant camera is a type of camera that generates a developed film image. The most popular types to use self-developing film were formerly made by Polaroid Corporation....
and a diary. She takes pictures of them kissing, but it turns out to be a plan to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. The plan backfires, the two are publicly bullied, and Oliver is beaten up for refusing to call Jordana a "massive slut". Walking home after their ordeal, she takes his hand and they kiss, and Oliver quickly establishes Jordana as his girlfriend.
At home, Oliver becomes concerned that the relationship and sex life of his parents is falling apart and that his dad (Taylor
Noah Taylor
Noah George Taylor is an English-born Australian actor.-Early life:Taylor, elder of two boys, was born in London, England, the son of Maggie, a journalist and book editor, and Paul Taylor, a copywriter and journalist. Taylor's Australian parents returned to Australia when he was five, and he grew...
) is depressed. Worse yet, new age guru Graham (Considine
Paddy Considine
Patrick George "Paddy" Considine is an English actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, musician and frequent collaborator with Shane Meadows. Best known to audiences for his portrayals of dark, troubled, morally or mentally ambiguous characters...
), an ex-boyfriend of his mother's (Hawkins
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins is an English actress. Her performance as Poppy in the 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky won her several international awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy...
), has moved in next door, and his seductive and flirtatious character is rousing Oliver's suspicions.
Meanwhile Oliver's relationship with Jordana is growing, but he learns that her mother has developed a potentially fatal brain tumour. Oliver considers poisoning Jordana's beloved dog to make the death of her mother less painful. Later, he attends an early Christmas dinner at Jordana's house and he witnesses her father break down. Unsettled, he decides that the Jordana he loves is at risk because the emotional events surrounding her will "make her gooey on the inside". He cuts off contact with Jordana because he thinks it will make her ordeal easier, an example of his unintentionally cruel and incompetent social methods.
Suspecting his mother and Graham are having an affair, and seeing that his father is depressed Oliver attempts to repair his parent's relationship. One night he finds that his mother and Graham have gone to the beach. He tracks them down there, and whilst searching for them on the crowded shore, sees Jordana with a new boyfriend. Heartbroken, he heads home, but on the way back, sees his mother with Graham, and assumes the worst. Enraged, he breaks into Graham's house, gets drunk, and commits minor acts of vandalism. When Graham comes home, he finds Oliver but returns him home with minimal fuss. The next morning, Oliver awakens to see that both his parents aren't angry with him, and are reconciling, although his mother admits that she gave Graham a handjob
Handjob
Handjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
.
However, Oliver is still distraught about losing Jordana and is unable to obtain an audience with her to explain his actions. Frustrated, he is downhearted for weeks, until he sees her on the beach. Running towards her he explains his actions, and learns that Jordana has broken up with her new boyfriend. Together they walk into the sea smiling at one another, it is hinted in this scene that the two resume their relationship together.
Cast
- Craig RobertsCraig RobertsCraig Roberts is a Welsh actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of Oliver Tate in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film Submarine, and for playing the character Rio in The Story of Tracy Beaker.-Life and Career:...
as Oliver Tate - Yasmin PaigeYasmin PaigeYasmin Paige is an English actress who is best known for her role as Maria in The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spin-off from the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. Having acted and modelled since the age of four, she made her screen debut in the 2003 film Wondrous Oblivion...
as Jordana Bevan - Sally HawkinsSally HawkinsSally Cecilia Hawkins is an English actress. Her performance as Poppy in the 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky won her several international awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy...
as Jill - Noah TaylorNoah TaylorNoah George Taylor is an English-born Australian actor.-Early life:Taylor, elder of two boys, was born in London, England, the son of Maggie, a journalist and book editor, and Paul Taylor, a copywriter and journalist. Taylor's Australian parents returned to Australia when he was five, and he grew...
as Lloyd Tate - Paddy ConsidinePaddy ConsidinePatrick George "Paddy" Considine is an English actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, musician and frequent collaborator with Shane Meadows. Best known to audiences for his portrayals of dark, troubled, morally or mentally ambiguous characters...
as Graham - Gemma ChanGemma ChanGemma Chan is an English actress and former model. She is best known for playing Mia Bennett in the BBC's Doctor Who "The Waters of Mars" with David Tennant and Lindsay Duncan; Soo Lin in Sherlock, the modern day adaptation of Sherlock Holmes for BBC One with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin...
as Kim-Lin - Steffan RhodriSteffan RhodriSteffan Rhodri is a Welsh film actor, best known for portraying Dave Coaches on Gavin & Stacey and as Reg Cattermole on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part I and II.-Film work:* Ironclad...
as Mr. Davey - Melanie WaltersMelanie WaltersMelanie Walters is a Welsh actress, who has worked frequently in television. She is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC comedy-drama Gavin & Stacey....
as Judie Bevan
Production
The film was produced by Warp FilmsWarp Films
Warp is one of the foremost and most respected creative independent companies, now composed of Warp Records, Warp Films and Warp Music Videos & Commercials. It is based in London, England and Sheffield, with a further office now in Melbourne, Australia...
and Film4
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
. Principal photography began on 26 October 2009 and filming finished in December 2009. Andrew Hewitt
Andrew Hewitt
-Training and performance:Andrew was classically trained from childhood as a pianist and tenor singer. He won music scholarships and entrance bursaries to Westminster Abbey Choir, Uppingham School, the National Youth Music Theatre, St Johns College, Cambridge University and the Guildhall School of...
composed the score and musician Alex Turner
Alex Turner (musician)
Alexander David Turner is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter of the English rock band Arctic Monkeys...
of Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
contributed five songs.
Casting
Around 100 actors submitted video auditions for the roles of Oliver, Jordana and Chips. Michael SheenMichael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
and X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
contestant Lucie Jones were originally cast in the film but dropped out due to other commitments.
Release
The film premiered at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival2010 Toronto International Film Festival
The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival, was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 9 and September 19, 2010. The opening night gala presented Score: A Hockey Musical, a Canadian comedy-drama musical film. Last Night closed the festival on September 19.2010 TIFF included...
in September 2010. Following a generally positive reception it was picked up by The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
for a North American release. The film also played at the 54th London Film Festival in October 2010 and was played out of competition at the 27th Sundance Film Festival in January 2011. It was also screened along with 400 other films at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
61st Berlin International Film Festival
The 61st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 10 to February 20, 2011, with actress Isabella Rossellini as the President of the Jury. The Coen Brothers film True Grit opened the festival. 300,000 tickets were sold in total during the event, to 20,000 attendees from 116...
the next month. It went on general release in the UK on 18 March.
Reception
The film was met with high critical acclaim, and holds a 87% "fresh" rate on the site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film 3/4 stars saying ""Submarine" isn't an insipid teen sex comedy. It flaunts some stylistic devices, such as titles and sections and self-aware narration, but it doesn't try too hard to be desperately clever. It's a self-confident work for the first-time director, Richard Ayoade, whose purpose I think is to capture that delicate moment in some adolescent lives when idealism and trust lead to tentative experiments. Because Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige are enormously likable in their roles, they win our sympathy and make us realize that too many movies about younger teenagers are filtered through the sensibility of more weathered minds."
Music
Original songs were written and performed by Alex TurnerAlex Turner (musician)
Alexander David Turner is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter of the English rock band Arctic Monkeys...
, the Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
frontman. It is his first effort as a solo artist. The soundtrack charted at 35 in the UK Album Chart.
The original score was composed by Andrew Hewitt
Andrew Hewitt
-Training and performance:Andrew was classically trained from childhood as a pianist and tenor singer. He won music scholarships and entrance bursaries to Westminster Abbey Choir, Uppingham School, the National Youth Music Theatre, St Johns College, Cambridge University and the Guildhall School of...
, long-time collaborator of Ayoade, recorded at Air Studios with The Composers Ensemble orchestra.
External links
- Critical essay on the film's tone at Alternate Takes
- Interview with Submarine author Joe Dunthorne