JDIFF: 'Submarine' Opening Night Gala
(pic Richard Ayoade, Yasmin Paige, Craig Roberts)
WRI/DIR: Richard Ayoade • PRO: Mary Burke • DOP:Erik Wilson• ED: Chris Dickens, Nick Fenton • Cast: Paddy Considine, Sally Hawkins, Yasmin Paige, Craig Roberts, Noah Taylor
‘Submarine’ written and directed by Richard Ayoade opened the 2011 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival at the Savoy Cinema, Dublin yesterday evening.
The Savoy cinema was transformed for the event with the gawker-magnet bright lights and red carpet rolled out on the city’s main thoroughfare. Inside press photographers jostled for position with Film Ireland for the best shots of its stars Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige, and writer/director Richard Ayoade (Moss from Graham Linehan’s The IT Crowd) . Follow us on Twitter here to see these fabulous low-res real-time red carpet shots and photos from other events throughout this years festival.
Chairman of the board of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Arthur Lappin got proceedings under way thanking all those who helped make the 2011 festival happen and introduced Mr Ricard of Pernod Ricard who reiterated how proud he was of his family’s and Jameson’s 9 year association with the festival.
Festival Programmer Grainne Humphreys gave a summary of what to expect from this years festival and then introduced the people ‘who will break your heart in this film’, its stars Craig Roberts and Yasmin Page, and finally to warm applause, Richard Ayoade, who bounded down the stairs to take the stage. Disappointingly Richard stayed in his ‘Moss’ persona and ad libbed for a minute or two to chuckles from the packed audience while introducing the film. I, for one, would have much preferred a more formal Q&A after the performance but it was not to be.
‘Submarine’ is a solid, warm hearted Wes Anderson-esque-ish coming of age comedy/drama. I think Richard Ayoade will probably be sick of the comparison but it was the first thing that sprang to my mind, but he is not a copy cat filmmaker. Craig Roberts plays Oliver Tate a teenager who is prone to fantasising, amusingly, of what his life or death, could be like, the brilliant Yasmin Paige is the classroom object of his desire, Jordana. Oliver’s parents Lloyd (Noah Taylor) and Jill (Sally Hawkins) are going through a tough time, made even tougher with sleazy mystic guru neighbour and ‘old friend’ of Jill’s, Graham (the hilarious Paddy Considine) around.
The first act zips along with laughs aplenty in Wes Anderson-esque-ish style but things take a more serious, sombre turn in the second act, which I guess could be Ayoade style, before being resolved in frequently hilarious fashion in the third act. The Welsh scenery including forests and beaches are utilised well and he is clearly a writer/director to watch judging by the performances he gets from the inexperienced younger cast as well as from the established stars such as Consideine and Hawkins.
A solid debut and a perfect, touching, warm and witty opening Jameson Dublin International Film Festival gala.
Gordon Gaffney
“We envy the angels”
wrong choice for th opening film …why can’t we open the DUBLIN FILM FESTIVAL WITH A DUBLIN FILM FILM??????
[...] ‘The Savoy cinema was transformed for the event with the gawker-magnet bright lights and red carpet rolled out on the city’s main thoroughfare.’ Gordon reports from the opening film of the festival, Richard Ayoade’s Submarine. [...]