"Submarine" is the Greatest Coming of Age Movie in a Long Time

This is a reprint of part of a joint-review from the Sundance Film Festival originally posted January 28, 2011.

“Submarine” is hard to discuss without addressing the Wes Anderson similarities. The main kid is, I agree, a bit like Max Fischer as played by young Bud Cort (with a little of Hugh O’Conor from “The Young Poisoner’s Handbook,” minus the homicidal tendencies), and there are plenty of references in the film that almost seem intentionally in tribute to “Rushmore” in particular. Also, the heavy use of zooms is Anderson-like. But I also thought of many other recent coming of age movies, especially “Donnie Darko,” and other young romances, like “(500) Days of Summer.”

I almost want to call “Submarine” the “TRON: Legacy” of the coming of age genre for all that it evokes. That’s unfair, of course, for a movie that many people—including me—love very much in spite of their recognition of comparable precursors. I also think it’s fitting for movies like this to include much allusion to its ancestors. Don’t teens tend to like stuff that can be connected to other things they like? Isn’t that how we make our first friends and crushes, because of like-minded interests?

And shouldn’t teen movies, like their subjects, therefore parade influences and interests clearly as if they’re wearing t-shirts or hanging posters of their favorite bands and films? It’s like how every coming of age character mentions a book or few books they prefer, which is often meant to also reflect the tastes and tone of the film(makers). In “Submarine,” by the way, those books are “Catcher in the Rye,” “King Lear” and a volume of Nietzsche.

There are actually a number of things about “Submarine” that I like as much or more than its ancestors. The style and cinematography may call to mind Anderson, but there’s something distinctively magical and beautiful about the way it looks and feels that never comes off as patterned off something else. Richard Ayoade definitely has a vision all his own, and you can see it in the few surreal touches as well as in the performances, which remind of Ayoade’s own acting work. In the lead, relative newcomer Craig Roberts is a greater talent and gives much funnier delivery than both Jason Schwartzman and Jake Gyllenhaal in their own breakthroughs.

And how refreshing it is to have a love interest (Yasmin Page, who co-starred with Emma Roberts in “Ballet Shoes”) for the weird young man that isn’t a manic pixie dream girl or a popular type of girl who is obviously out of his reach. It’s also great that she’s not otherwise easily defined -- partly self-set mystery and later just clearly adolescent-ly confused. I initially thought she was going to be the same old non-romantic we see in so many other movies (often played by Zooey Deschanel), who ends up breaking the heart of the boy who gets in too deep. But she is more complicated. As is he. And the relationship goes up and down and is far more realistic, full of emotional ignorance and trepidation, than is expected.

“Submarine” is definitely my favorite coming of age movie in a long time.

"Submarine" is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Recommended If You Like: "Harold and Maude"; "Donnie Darko"; "Rushmore"

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