Submarine (2010 film)
2010 film by Richard Ayoade
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Submarine is a 2010 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Richard Ayoade in his feature directorial debut. It stars Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige and Sally Hawkins. It is based on the 2008 novel by Joe Dunthorne, and is an international co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States. The film follows an eccentric 15-year-old boy (Roberts) who pursues a relationship with a classmate (Paige) while attempting to repair his parents' marriage, suspecting that his mother (Hawkins) is having an affair with an ex-lover (Considine).
- Mary Burke
- Mark Herbert
- Andy Stebbing
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| Directed by | Richard Ayoade |
| Written by | Richard Ayoade |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Erik Alexander Wilson |
| Edited by |
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Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.9 million |
| Box office | $4.6 million |
Filming for Submarine took place in Wales in late 2009, in the towns of Swansea, Cardiff, Rhondda, and Barry. Over the course of seven weeks, the film was primarily shot in Cardiff. Alex Turner, the frontman of English rock band Arctic Monkeys, signed onto the film to compose the soundtrack, which would later be released on 14 March 2011.
Submarine premiered at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2010. It was shortly picked up by The Weinstein Company for a North American release. It was released in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2011, shortly followed by a United States release on 3 June 2011. The film was released onto DVD on 4 October 2011, with Anchor Bay Entertainment distributing the film. Submarine received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the way it was filmed. It grossed $4.6 million worldwide at the box office, against a production budget of $1.9 million.
Plot
In the Welsh seaside city of Swansea, Oliver Tate is an eccentric, unpopular 15-year-old who is infatuated with his mischievous classmate, Jordana Bevan. After Oliver bullies another female classmate to impress Jordana, 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, resulting in Oliver being beaten up by Mark at school for refusing to call Jordana a "slut". Jordana becomes Oliver's girlfriend and, after a couple of weeks, they lose their virginity to each other in his bedroom while his parents are out.
Oliver begins to suspect that his mother Jill is having an affair with an old flame, New Age motivational speaker Graham Purvis, who has moved in next door with his girlfriend Kim-Lin. Worried about his parents' marriage, he monitors their sex life by charting the dimmer switch in their bedroom, concluding that they have not had sex for seven months. After spotting Jill in town with Graham and overhearing her talk about him on the phone, Oliver tries to warn his depressed father Lloyd, who dismisses his suspicions. Oliver spies on Jill attending one of Graham's seminars, where Graham tells her that he has broken up with Kim-Lin.
As Oliver's relationship with Jordana grows, she reveals that her mother has been diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour. At an awkward early Christmas dinner at Jordana's house, he is welcomed by her parents but witnesses her father break down. Despite agreeing to visit Jordana's mother at the hospital the day of her operation, Oliver loses his nerve and temporarily cuts off contact with her so he can focus on salvaging his parents' marriage, planning to resume his relationship with Jordana afterwards.
On the night of New Year's Eve, Jill goes to the beach with Graham. While searching for Jill on the crowded beach, Oliver is stunned to see Jordana with another boy. He then spies on his mother entering the back of Graham's van and assumes the worst. Enraged, he goes home and takes several of Lloyd's antidepressants before breaking into Graham's house, where he gets drunk and commits minor acts of vandalism. Returning home, Graham drops an intoxicated Oliver on his doorstep and leaves. The next morning, Oliver awakes to see that his parents are not angry with him and are reconciling, though Jill admits that she gave Graham a handjob.
Jordana breaks up with Oliver via a letter informing him that she is seeing someone else and that her mother's operation was successful; he becomes depressed over the next few months. At school, Oliver apologises to Jordana for not visiting her mother at the hospital, hoping she will leave her new boyfriend for him, but she rejects him. Oliver later encounters Jordana on the beach at sunset, learning that she does not actually have a new boyfriend. She declares that Oliver was horrible to her, and he admits that he made a mistake. Together, they walk several inches deep into the sea, smiling at each other as the sun shines at them.
Cast
- Noah Taylor as Lloyd Tate
- Paddy Considine as Graham Purvis
- Craig Roberts as Oliver Tate
- Yasmin Paige as Jordana Bevan
- Sally Hawkins as Jill Tate
- Darren Evans as Chips
- Osian Cai Dulais as Mark Pritchard
- Steffan Rhodri as Mr Davey
- Gemma Chan as Kim-Lin
- Melanie Walters as Jude Bevan
- Ben Stiller as soap opera star (uncredited)
Production
Casting
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Around 100 actors submitted video auditions for the roles of Oliver, Jordana, and Chips in 2009.[2] Michael Sheen and X Factor contestant Lucie Jones were originally cast in the film but dropped out due to other commitments.[3][2] Author Virginia Heath stated more than 1,200 people had signed up to the casting site, and more than 100 auditions of "previously undiscovered talent" had been submitted for the roles of the film.[2] Auditions closed on 17 August 2009.[2] Director Richard Ayoade invited Roberts and Paige to record screen tests around Barry Island, where sequences of the movie would later be shot.[4]
Filming
Shooting began in Wales in late 2009,[2] with locations ranging from Swansea, Cardiff, Rhondda, and Barry.[5] The film was primarily shot in Cardiff, over the course of seven weeks.[6] Ayoade and cinematographer Erik Wilson watched French cinema films from the 1970s for visual references, Wilson listed François Truffaut and Éric Rohmer as primary influences.[7] The film was produced by Warp Films and Film4 Productions,[6] working on a production budget of $1.9 million.[8] Submarine was mostly filmed using natural light,[9] of which was mainly shot on 35mm film.[10] After finding a 35mm camera, the crew initially didn't want to use it, however Ayoade insisted on using it, with the crew always carrying it with them and using it for scenic shots.[7] In the scenes where the lighting had to be adjusted, either existing fluorescents were replaced or switched off, or other bulbs were brought in.[7] Paige reflects on the filming experience fondly, stating it was one of the best experiences of her life.[4]
Soundtrack
Six original songs were written and performed by Alex Turner, the frontman of English rock band Arctic Monkeys.[11] Turner recorded the soundtrack in April 2010 at One Inch studios in London,[12] with frequent collaborator James Ford serving as producer.[13] Turner and Ford played most of the instruments, while Bill Ryder-Jones played guitar on the tracks "Hiding Tonight", and "It's Hard To Get Around The Wind".[13] The strings for the song "Piledriver Waltz", were recorded at Air Studios in London, and arranged by Owen Pallett.[13][4] The original score was composed by Andrew Hewitt, long-time collaborator of Ayoade, recorded at Air Studios with the Composers Ensemble orchestra.[13] The soundtrack would be released on 14 March 2011, just a few days before the film made its debut in the United Kingdom.[14] Since its release, the soundtrack has been compared to the works of Richard Hawley,[15][14][16] Bob Dylan,[15][17] Simon & Garfunkel,[16] John Lennon,[14] Roy Orbison,[16] Scott Walker,[16] and Cat Stevens's soundtrack for Harold and Maude.[18]
Release
Submarine premiered at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2010.[10][19] Following a generally positive reception, it was picked up by The Weinstein Company for a North American release.[20] 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.[21][22] It was also screened along with 400 other films at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival the next month.[23] The film was offically released in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2011,[24][1] later being released in the United States on 3 June 2011.[8] Submarine would later see a DVD release on 4 October 2011, with Anchor Bay Entertainment distributing the film.[8]
Box office
Submarine grossed $467,602 in the United States and Canada,[1] along with $4.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $4.6 million.[8] The film earned a total of $41,832 on its opening weekend in the United States.[8][1] In its second weekend, Submarine finished with $55,848.[25] By its third weekend, the film had surpassed Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules with $58,291.[26] In its fourth and fifth weekends, it earned $42,103, and $27,232 respectively.[27][28] By its sixth weekend, Submarine had earned a total of $377,807 domestically.[29] In its final week in August 2011, it concluded with $3,196.[30]
Critical reception
Submarine received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 156 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Funny, stylish, and ringing with adolescent truth, Submarine marks Richard Ayoade as a talent to watch."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32]
Critic Roger Ebert gave the film a three out of four stars, saying, "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."[33] Noel Murray of The A.V. Club praised the film for the way it was shot, stating "Submarine is funny and stylish, shot in a way that gives the recent past an archaic glow, as though lit by candlelight and the setting sun."[34] Ray Bennett, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, called the film "Jaunty and sly with great many laughs".[35] Dan Jolin of Empire gave the film a four out of five stars, stating "Submarine is, simply, a joy. A joy jostled by the comedy of discomfort."[36]
Sophie Williams of The Guardian cites the film as her feel-good movie, writing "It was during this state of unrest that Richard Ayoade’s Submarine waltzed into my world. It might be a curious choice to name a film that traverses a troubled home life, too-much-too-young sexual experiences, and bullying as my feel-good movie, but within its equally dark and peppy 97 minutes is a story about writing your own rules."[37] Peter Bradshaw, also writing for The Guardian, gave the film four out of five stars in his review.[38] Additionally, Peter Debruge of Variety praised the film for how well it stands out in its genre, stating "Submarine rises above the genre’s tired, cookie-cutter competition, presenting familiar elements, such as preternaturally articulate teens preoccupied with virginity, through fresh eyes."[10]
