Last week saw the New York screening of Submarine at Y Tribeca, which Gina R Snape very kindly reviewed for us including the Q&A with director Richard Ayoade. We’ve been lucky enough to receive a couple more snippets from other peelers who attended the event, so we thought we’d share those too (along with a new Ayoade interview!):
© SashaM
Ivy:
The audience response to the film was extremely enthusiastic. When Richard first sat down he joked to the moderator that it would be ten minutes before he would be able to make eye contact! He added that he could hardly believe anyone had been to see the film then turned to us and said, “I can’t even believe that you’ve just seen it.”
Someone noted that Submarine reminded them of Harold and Maude (something my friend and I had also thought). Richard said that he wasn’t familiar with the movie until someone else had mentioned it to him, and generally he wasn’t a big fan of Hal Ashby (he said, apologetically, that he didn’t like ‘Shampoo’). Then he added that Submarine was actually based on ‘Taxi Driver’ which got a big laugh from the crowd.
It was a great evening and I feel lucky to have been one of about 50 people in attendance.
SashaM:
Someone asked Richard if the striking colour palate in the film had any relevance. He explained that the colours each character wore were meant to represent their personalities: Oliver in blue, Jordana in bright red, Oliver’s Mum in white and off-white, his Dad in brown. That said, he denied that he was a particularly visual thinker and explained that Oliver is meant to be directing the film, so the camera work is purposefully grandiose to reflect that.
Richard came across as extremely softly spoken and humble, speaking in rambling sentences dotted with self-deprecating humour. After the screening my friend and I had a photo taken with him which I proudly call ‘The 3 Most Awkward People in Existence.’
© Warp
In other ‘Ayoade in NY’ news, this week he was interviewed by the New York Times. Like most of his interviews much is made of his reticence as an interviewee, but there are plenty of interesting insights into his work both behind and in front of the camera. As interviewer Johan Weiner says, “What unites Mr. Ayoade’s performances is the abiding warmth he demonstrates toward his characters, despite their flaws and shortcomings — an empathetic quality that comes in handy as a director too.”
To read the interview in full and to hear Ayoade talk through one of the key scenes in Submarine visit the New York Times website here.
Submarine opens in NY June 3rd at the Angelika.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to everyone who contributed reviews!
