Review of Submarine (2011) by Dylan G — 18 Nov 2011

Quite the honest piece of work, addressing the social awkwardness of teenagers who think they're better than everyone else through parental "bonding", first love and idiosyncrasies. I have never seen a character as realistically awkward and socially incompetent as Oliver Tate, the 15 year old boy at the epicenter of this tale.

While it does wring many laughs out of gauche situations and is generally well made, the lack of emotional resonance throughout made me wonder why I should care about Mr. Tate's particular teenage crusade, and in a coming of age dramedy such as this, that's not an easily ignored problem.

Richard Ayoade deserves respect for making a film that views coming of age from a different angle that is honest, but hardly emotionally involving.