Richard Ayoade’s film SUBMARINE wasn’t entirely what I thought it would be, but it was quite a fitting choice for my final TIFF film of the festival.

It has been called “The Welsh RUSHMORE” which could nit possibly be more misleading. At the film’s centre is a young man named Oliver Tate…who yes, reminds us all a little bit of Max Fisher in his attitude. Oliver has a lot of problems: his mother seems poised to have a fling with the guru next door, his father doesn’t seem to care, and the girl who has his heart…well…she’s complicated.

The film pulls a bit of a bait-and-switch early on. It begins bright and quirky, but once its first act is complete it very quickly becomes gloomy and dour. Craig Roberts, who plays our hero, does an admirable job of trying to guide us through this muddy journey, and is easily one of the best things about the film.

Not far behind Roberts is Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins as his parents. They deftly play a couple that have been together for a long time and are struggling with their restlessness – both individually and as a couple. Sally Hawkins especially impresses, since it’s odd to see her looking quite so dowdy. She draws us in every time she’s in a scene, whether she’s trying to understand her eccentric son or getting lured by a nutty-looking new-age mystic.

While the film is one worth seeing, I can’t say I was completely a fan of where it went in its final act. As SUBMARINE comes in for a landing, it leaves the charm and whimsey behind and turns very introspective and glum. It’s a good-not-great film, which might have been the appropriate topper for TIFF 2010.

SUBMARINE will be released in theatres by The Weinstein Company next year