SYNOPSIS: Fifteen-year-old Oliver Tate has two big ambitions: to save his parents' marriage via carefully plotted intervention and to lose his virginity before his next birthday. Worried that his mom is having an affair with New Age weirdo Graham, Oliver monitors his parents' sex life by charting the dimmer switch in their bedroom. He also forges suggestive love letters from his mom to dad. 

Meanwhile, Oliver attempts to woo his classmate, Jordana, a self-professed pyromaniac who supervises his journal writing - especially the bits about her. When necessary, she orders him to cross things out.  Based on Joe Dunthorne's acclaimed novel, SUBMARINE is a captivating coming-of-age story with an offbeat edge.

REVIEW: What a quirky movie. That is probably the best way to describe it. Not surprising is that Ben Stiller is an executive producer for this odd dramedy. It is awkward and bizarre but refreshing and different, kind of like young love. A good chunk of it is about young love between two mid teenagers in Wales, UK. But it is a lot more than that. The story is simple mind you, but it is well explored and grounded. It takes you through a range of emotions as the drama unfolds between family, friends, and relationships. You will see embarrassment, bullying, love, joy, pain, determination and frustration all in the name of good intentions. The dialogue as well as the movie in general is clever and artistic. The cinematography is also well done as it brings more life to the story and the characters. However, there are some moments that seem to drag and you might start looking at your watch. Clearly this movie isn’t for everyone. If you are more of a mainstream moviegoer, this one is probably not for you. If you are a movie aficionado who appreciates the art form, you will appreciate this one.

“You’ve got to live between the pitfalls” is a lyric I picked up from one of the songs in the soundtrack for this film and it is one of the lessons of this story. Pitfalls will come in everybody’s life, they are inevitable. The key is to live life to the fullest in between them. Craig Roberts who plays Oliver Tate, the main character, really shines with this role and is the persona through which we learn this lesson. He did a wonderful job and carried the movie well for such a young man. The object of his affection is Jordana Bevan, played by Yasmin Paige. When you’re in love you tend to have eyes only for that person. That fact was materialized via a strong red coat that Jordana would constantly wear. It stuck out like a sore thumb. It was the most colorful object in the entire movie and it made total sense. She also gave a solid performance. Their relationship was quirky at best and yet still deep and meaningful. It was interesting to watch. The other major conflict in the movie is the love triangle situation between Oliver’s parents and his mother’s old friend who just became a neighbor. Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins play the parents, Lloyd and Jill, and they really looked the part. So did Paddy Considine as Graham who represents the opened can of worms. All in all, the actors’ performances really made the movie worthwhile as well as a quality directing job by Richard Ayoade.