Richard Ayoade's Submarine: the success of bottling indie aesthetic

A quintessential example of the twee sentimental dramas that flourished during the late 2000s, Submarine speaks to the perceived anguish of adolescence, with Oliver going through something of an early identity crisis.

Hard to resist this sweet-natured romcom from Richard Ayoade, AKA Maurice Moss of The IT Crowd. It's the story of 15-year-old Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts), who is determined to lose his virginity before he hits 16 (preferably with Yasmin Paige's Jordana) and to protect his mother (Sally Hawkins) from the seductive powers of old mullet-headed flame Graham (Paddy Considine). There's real warmth and comedy in these characters.

Preview - Submarine

Richard Ayoade's directorial debut is an idiosyncratic coming-of-age drama about a teenage pupil who is trying to cope with the trials of school and domestic life while also discovering love.

A neurotic and smart boy, Oliver over-imagines his death as a series of flash-forwards of fellow pupils mourning his passing. He talks of zooms and crane shots and when a bullied peer falls into a pond he observes the horror in freeze frame and commentates on the action. The storytelling style which writer-director Richard Ayoade lunges for with uncynical reverence and a cinephile's passion is a holy trinity of French new wave, mannered American indies and superior British domestic comedy. It's a winning combination which sees sparks of imagination flying from most scenes, with jump cuts, flashes back and forwards, imaginary episodes and chapter headings. Nothing stays still for long and actors are often seen in silence. Total first-person cinema: a spirited and warm film debut.

Interview: Joe Dunthorne, author of Submarine (Link expired)

A hit debut novel which then transferred to cinema has put Joe Dunthorne at the centre of new writing...

DVD: Submarine (15)

Richard Ayoade's debut film, adapted from Joe Dunthorne's novel, is very stylistic and references 400 Blows, Harold and Maude and Rushmore. It's not terribly funny, in fact it's rather sad, but Roberts and Paige are good together and there's some tangy dialogue.

Richard Ayoade: I was a lone wolf throughout school

Richard Ayoade talks to Metro about his new film Submarine, playing Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd, and his embarrassing first crush.

Submarine: Eccentric British romcom with original edge

Submarine is another British romcom, and it's both more adventurous and less commercial: a self-consciously quirky rites-of-passage comedy about a pale, gloomy 15-year-old Welsh schoolboy (Craig Roberts) trying to lose his virginity with his comically unromantic girlfriend (Yasmin Paige), who's bad-tempered and suffers from eczema.

Video: Creating the agonising moments of film Submarine

The British film "Submarine" tells the heart warming tale of a young man's first experience of love and has already had rave reviews at this year's Toronto, London and Sundance film festivals.

It is directed by the Perrier award winning comedian Richard Ayoade, known for his roles in shows such as The Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd, and stars Craig Roberts as 15-year-old Oliver Tate.

They spoke to BBC Breakfast about what it was like to make the film.

Submarine review

You might just want to stop everything and get yourself a ticket to Richard Ayoade's film of Submarine. We might just be talking about this one for a long time...