With Moonlight Kingdom coming out shortly, I find myself wondering if Wes Anderson’s work has matured at all, always seeming to favour the absurd, but ultimately skirting around moments of genuine discomfort. Submarine, on the other hand, this surprisingly beautiful film from IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade reminded a me lot of Wes Anderson’s work, but with the added advantage of completely diving into the uncomfortable moments, presenting them in real – not cartoon – terms.
The always-eccentric Noah Taylor, hilariously subtle Sally Hawkins and incredibly natural and watchable Yasmin Paige are a joy to watch, but the film belongs to Craig Roberts. His performance would be incredible in an adult but for one so young, his restrained and nuanced characterisation is a study in unselfconscious acting, comedy or otherwise.
I really like Ayoade’s acting, but I have a feeling I’m going to love his directing from now on too.
by Paul Barry
