Submarine (2010) --85/100--

For some reason I’ve been really struck by a lot of stuff from the British Isles lately, starting with this indie gem, a quirky coming-of-age flick with moments that vibe like Napoleon Dynamite, but waaaay smarter. Loquacious even. In fact it’s more like WElSh Anderson. This is the debut feature film of Richard Ayoade, who for any fans of IFC’s programming plays the odd-coiffed, bespectacled Moss on “The IT Crowd,” and his strong dual Wr/Dir effort in adapting Joe Dunthorne’s novel for the screen shows that he is primed to be a fresh addition to the ranks of young auteurs.

I just can’t withhold a full-body smirk when I see such sly shout-outs to Don’t Look Now and the French New Wave (400 Blows, whaat!!!?? - Also the titles are tres Godard.) But even non-film nerds will appreciate an original voice and an evenhanded enough approach to the drama/comedy ratio to warrant its own distinction. The flow of action ranges from a blackmailed first kiss to schoolyard bullying to loss of virginity to parental infidelity and even darker, but never feels bogged down by the gravity of the weighty issues.

The characters Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) and Jordana Bevan (Yasmin Paige) have a slight culty appeal that sticks in your head, and this might be the first film in a while that approaches the type of “pop in the DVD for 12 days in succession just to soak it all in” feel that I had with personal favorites like The Big Lebowski and The Royal Tenenbaums. With the help of some very slick visual scenes, it flows along to a noticeably solid score by Andrew Nesbitt and and a batch of cool, subdued original songs by Alex Turner of The Arctic Monkeys. I could not recommend this more to anyone looking for something a little off-the-wall, with a slightly quashed heart to it.


It also contains my new personal mantra, "I AM A PRISM. I AM LIGHT. I AM LUCID. I AM EXCITING AND DELICIOUS.

You think I’m silly...don’t you?"