Submarine is an awesome movie. I agonized over that word. I had some others like “fascinating” or perhaps “affable” and both are fitting, but it doesn’t seem quite as to the point as saying that it’s simply awesome. Because Submarine isn’t a movie that’s going to change your life, nor is it a movie that has a ton to say, which is why the fact that it’s so good should be characterized as “awesome.” It’s really funny and quirky, but it balances all of that with emotion nicely. It doesn’t go overboard with quirky, like Juno for instance. It realizes that quirkiness is a tool in a toolbox instead of the crutch you lean on. It’s smart,but never too smart for its own good. It’s structured in that winking eye sort of way, where things are referenced or made fun of like in metafiction, but this never feels smart or annoying either. What keeps it all together is the fact that Oliver is so damn lovable, and since Oliver and this movie are one in the same, it’s affable all the way through. It’s not a perfect film, but damn if it’s not more enjoyable than 92% of the movies you’ve seen.
