On Being British in Submarine

There is an expectation that British films about British people, set in Britain will be of a certain kind. This has nothing to do with the incredible creativity that exists within the British film industry and those working in Britain, but instead more with the success of British films overseas that have an amazing ability to go onto define the country and its national identity through overseas success. By overseas success, read North American success. Such films seem to fall into three distinct categories; the British gangster film (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Layer Cake (2004)), the British period drama (The Young Victoria (2009)) and the contemporary British romantic comedy (Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001), Notting Hill (1999)) There are good films within these categories. In fact there are great films, yet there is also a lot of films that are not good, but that do very well financially.

British films that don’t fall into one of these three categories (the Harry Potter and James Bond films are a world of their own) seem to get lost in the box office, maybe through a lack of clear identification. Bright Star (2009) is the perfect example; a film that barely registered in North American cinemas and faired little better here, yet is a film of outstanding talent.

There is now a film which it is hoped will become a clear exception to this rule. Submarine, written and directed by Richard Ayoade and based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne is a coming of age tale set in Wales. Due to excellent write-ups and a great marketing campaign, Submarine has proved popular in British cinemas and has been picked up by The Weinstein Company for international distribution (although whether North American audiences ‘get it’ is yet to be seen).

Submarine feels like a breath of fresh air, not just as a British film, but also for film in general. It is a funny, touching film with well thought out characters brilliantly brought to life by some clever direction. In addition to the relatable characters and the comedy, the film owes much to the annals of film history and clearly displays Ayoade’s knowledge of world cinema and marks him as a director to watch. There are references abound to the French nouvelle vague of the 1960s and the more recent canon of Wes Anderson. The seriousness of the subject matter is delicately balanced with the often laugh out loud comedy and although the third acts drags slightly, there is enjoyment to be had throughout. If only there were more money available for scripts and directors like this instead of more predictable London rom-coms and royal dramas.