Submarineis a 2010coming-of-agecomedy-dramafilm written and directed byRichard Ayoadeand starringNoah Taylor,Paddy Considine,Craig Roberts,Yasmin PaigeandSally Hawkins.It is based on the 2008novel of the same namebyJoe Dunthorne,and is an international co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States.Submarineis Ayoade's directorial debut.[3]
| Submarine | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Ayoade |
| Written by | Richard Ayoade |
| Based on | Submarine byJoe Dunthorne |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Erik Wilson |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates | |
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.5 million |
| Box office | $4.6 million[2] |
Plot
editOliver Tate is an unpopular 15-year-old who is infatuated with classmate Jordana Bevan. After Oliver teases another girl to get Jordana's attention, she invites him to meet secretly after school and takes pictures of them kissing. Jordana uses the pictures to make her ex-boyfriend Mark jealous; Mark roughs up Oliver, but Oliver refuses to say that Jordana is a slut. Jordana becomes Oliver's girlfriend and, after a couple of weeks, they have sex in his bedroom while his parents are out.
At home, Oliver becomes concerned about his parents. His father, Lloyd, is depressed. New-age guru Graham Purvis, an ex-boyfriend of his mother, Jill, has moved in next door, and his flirtations rouse Oliver's suspicions.
Oliver's relationship with Jordana grows, but he learns that her mother has a potentially fatal brain tumour. At an early Christmas dinner at Jordana's house, 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 in the middle." Rather than visit Jordana's mother in hospital, as he has promised to, he loses his nerve and cuts off contact.
Thinking that his mother and Graham are having an affair, Oliver attempts to repair his parents' relationship. While searching for his mother on the beach, he is stunned to see Jordana with another boy. Walking home, dejected, he 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 awakes to see that both his parents aren't angry with him and are reconciling.
Oliver remains distraught about losing Jordana; he is downhearted for weeks, until he sees her on the beach. He runs to her and apologizes, learning that Jordana does not actually have a new boyfriend. Together, they walk several inches deep into the sea, smiling.
Cast
edit- Craig Robertsas Oliver Tate
- Yasmin Paigeas Jordana Bevan
- Sally Hawkinsas Jill Tate
- Noah Tayloras Lloyd Tate
- Paddy Considineas Graham Purvis
- Gemma Chanas Kim-Lin
- Melanie Waltersas Jude Bevan
- Steffan Rhodrias Mr. Davey
- Ben Stilleras Soap Opera Star
- Darren Evans as Chips
Production
editCasting
editMichael SheenandX FactorcontestantLucie Joneswere originally cast in the film but dropped out due to other commitments.[4][5]
Filming
editThe film was produced byWarp FilmsandFilm4 Productions.[6]Principal photography began on 26 October 2009 and filming finished in December 2009. Filming locations in Wales included Swansea, Cardiff, Rhondda, and Barry.[7]
Soundtrack
editSix original songs were written and performed byAlex Turner,the frontman ofArctic Monkeys.[8]The soundtrack charted at 35 in the UK Album Chart.
The original score was composed byAndrew Hewitt,long-time collaborator of Ayoade, recorded at Air Studios with The Composers Ensemble orchestra.
Release
editThe film premiered at the35th Toronto International Film Festivalin September 2010.[9]Following a generally positive reception it was picked up byThe Weinstein Companyfor a North American release.[10]The film also played at the54th London Film Festivalin October 2010 and was played out of competition at the27th Sundance Film Festivalin January 2011.[11][12]It was also screened along with 400 other films at the61st Berlin International Film Festivalthe next month.[13]
Critical reception
editSubmarinereceived positive reviews from critics. OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has a score of 88% based on reviews from 156 critics, with an average score of 7.4/10. The website's critics consensus: "Funny, stylish, and ringing with adolescent truth,Submarinemarks Richard Ayoade as a talent to watch. "[14]AtMetacritic,which assigns aweighted averagescore out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 76 based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]
CriticRoger Ebertgave the film 3/4 stars saying "Submarineisn'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. "[16]
References
edit- ^James White (14 January 2011)."Ben Stiller Talks Submarine".Empire.Retrieved15 January2011.
- ^"Submarine (2011)".The Numbers.Retrieved17 June2014.
- ^Noel Murray and Scott Tobias (16 September 2010)."TIFF '10: Day 7".The A.V. Club.Retrieved17 September2010.
- ^"X Factor's Lucie Jones 'to appear in film with Michael Sheen".The Daily Telegraph.London. 28 September 2009.Retrieved21 December2010.
- ^"Web auditions for Sheen film cast".BBC News.14 August 2009.Retrieved21 December2010.
- ^"Shooting begins on comedy Submarine".UK Film Council.26 October 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 18 February 2011.Retrieved21 December2010.
- ^Prior, Neil (13 March 2011)."Joe Dunthorne book Submarine has Swansea film premiere".BBC News.Retrieved3 February2023.
- ^Young, Alex (14 December 2010)."Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner contributes music to Sundance film Submarine".Consequence.Retrieved1 December2022.
- ^Brad Frenette (27 July 2010)."Toronto International Film Fest announces 2010 lineup".National Post.Retrieved21 December2010.
- ^Diana Lodderhose and Pamela McClintock (15 September 2010)."Weinsteins win 'Submarine' bidding war".Variety.Retrieved21 December2010.
- ^David Gritten (10 July 2010)."London Film Festival preview".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved21 December2010.
- ^Germain Lussier (12 February 2010)."2011 Sundance Film Festival Out of Competition Films Announced"./Film.Retrieved21 December2010.
- ^Scott Roxborough (17 January 2011)."Berlin Announces Forum Lineup".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved21 January2011.
- ^"Submarine".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango.Retrieved5 October2021.
- ^"Submarine".Metacritic.Retrieved17 June2014.
- ^Haws, Marie (8 June 2011)."Submarine Movie Review & Film Summary (2011) | Roger Ebert".Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Archived fromthe originalon 12 March 2013.Retrieved28 November2013.
