2010 black comedy Rating: 6/10
Plot: Introspective Oliver Tate’s got typical teenage problems: parents who don’t get along, a desire for popularity, and a desperate need for sex. Chances for the latter begin looking brighter when he actually gets a girlfriend, but his parents’ woes seem to intensify when an ex-boyfriend moves in next door with one of the ugliest vans you’re ever likely to see. Oh, I really kind of loved this movie. It’s got the feel of Amelie with the whimsicality of a first-person-narrated Wes Anderson movie.
Originally, I decided to watch this only because the kid reminded me a little of Bud Cort. Craig Roberts isn’t exactly Bud Cort, but he is the kind of quirky character Cort would have played in the 1970s. He’s either really good in this movie or he’s directed it really well. Really, everybody delivers nice, subtly funny performances, and they have witty writing to work with. I’d quote, but so much of it is in the delivery, the context, and the way the dialogue blends with the playful style of the film.
The dad, played by Noah Taylor, is perfect as a character, “the color of eggshells.” My favorite moment is with the girlfriend’s dad, played by some guy named Sion Tudor Owen, which I think is probably the name of a Star Wars character. His reaction to a light problem in his home is one of those scenes that you think about a week after you saw it and still laugh about. There are lots of references to light in this one, as well as, of course, submarine allusions. This breezy but poignant coming-of-age story was directed by Richard Ayoade, who had a cameo in Bunny and the Bull, another comedy I really liked.
