Oliver is a pensive, self-conscious teenager who has a crush on the like-minded Jordana, whom he begins to court. Meanwhile, his stiff parents are going through a rough patch of their marriage and Oliver is determined to prevent his mother from reconnecting with her ex-flame, the weirdo, mullet-headed motivational speaker who has just moved in next door. "Submarine" is the directorial debut of British writer/director Richard Ayoade and is a replenishing splash in the face to run-of-the-mill teenage romantic movie outputs. Cut as compulsively as a Michael Bay film (yes this is a compliment) in the vein of "Amelie", Ayoade tells an exceedingly funny and offbeat story, with characters who are just as off-kilter. Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige are great as the teenagers, and Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor as the parents. Paddy Considine is particularly funny as the weirdo neighbor. While I was watching this film, my (standard issue) 16-year-old cousin and his (standard issue) 16-year-old friend stopped by about 20 minutes into the film and, to my surprise, I found both of them engaged by the film until the end. "Submarine" captures that element of youth that has been so greatly submerged in many films about young people.
