![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Craig-Roberts-and-Yasmin-Paige-in-Submarine.jpg\" "\\"Craig")
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A smart and beautifully crafted coming-of-age story marks an auspicious directorial debut for Richard Ayoade<\/a>.<\/p>\n Set in Swansea and based on Joe Dunthorne’s novel<\/a>, it explores the growing pains of 15-year old Oliver (Craig Roberts) as he falls in love with classmate Jordana (Yasmin Paige) and also struggles to prevent a new-age neighbour (Paddy Considine) from splitting up his father and (Noah Taylor) and mother (Sally Hawkins).<\/p>\n The time period is elusive as the lack of mobiles and computers hint that it could be the late 1980s (at one point a character mentions going to see Crocodile Dundee<\/a>) or early 1990s, although presumably it has been left deliberately vague to emphasise the universal nature of the story.<\/p>\n It contains many familiar genre elements (articulate protagonist, voiceover, teen problems) but Ayoade manages to bring a fresh visual approach and combines it with just the right levels of comedy and emotion. <\/p>\n Together they make a charming pair as they go for walks on the beach, watch small fires outside industrial estates and struggle to deal with the stuff of teenage life.<\/p>\n The supporting roles are perfectly cast: Hawkins is a dowdy but humane presence, Taylor is a quietly withdrawn but affectionate patriarch and Considine is hilarious as spiritual guru (almost like a British version of Tom Cruise’s character in Magnolia<\/a>). <\/p>\n At one point Oliver says that he imagines his own life as a movie and what really elevates this above most home grown British films is its obvious love for cinema. <\/p>\n Not only are there playful visual references to zooms but there is a real visual style here as it leaves behind the clich\u00e9s that litter home grown films (council estates, cockney gangsters<\/a>, country houses<\/a>) and instead takes its cues from US and French directors.<\/p>\n Some have already observed Wes Anderson<\/a> as a stylistic influence (Rushmore<\/a> being the obvious touchstone) and there are numerous visual hat-tips to French new wave<\/a> directors such as Truffaut<\/a> and Godard<\/a> with the use of jump-cuts and hand-held camera work.<\/p>\n The world of British comprehensive schools is also vividly depicted: the frustrated teachers, playground taunts and unreasonable peer pressure are all evoked with hilarious accuracy.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Submarine-poster.jpg\" "\\"Submarine")
<\/a>Roberts makes for a highly agreeable lead, with his articulate wit undercut by a natural insecurity about people and the world, whilst Paige manages to be both elusive and down-to-earth. <\/p>\n