Some Of The Kids Are All Right-ish

Submarine is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age comedy from Richard Ayoade. Set in 80's Wales our odd little romeo Oliver set his sights on a girl but his uneasy navigation through the hormonal waters is perturbed by her mother's ill health and his own's affection for the sleazy new age guru living next door. The performances and script are tight and it's bone dry humour reminded me a little of Rushmore but it's the confident production that pushes this far beyond the usual tropes of adolescent rom com and into one of the best British films I've seen in ages.


Tubster Kevin Smith is famous for his comedies so I was delighted to hear he'd stretched himself into new ground with Red State, a dark and lovely, visceral side swipe at the batshit Westboro Baptist Church and the state powers that breed then cull them. 3 young dudes venture into trailer park territory on the promise of internet sourced sexy times and find themselves at the mercy of a freaky apocalyptic church with bloody intentions. The film has two excellent performances from Michael Parks as the demented Pastor and John Goodman as the Fed called in to deal with the the situation but it's Smiths sharp script and tight, tight direction that make this such an enjoyable thriller.