We Are The Best
When you are a child, anything is possible. You feel like the whole world is at your fingertips, grazing all the opportunities that are illuminated in front of you. Up until you are certified an adult (age ranges may vary,) wide eyed dreaming is everything to you. Whether you are running rings around races, creating courageous crafts, or exploring Earth’s excellence… Perhaps you wanted grab a grungy guitar and mould marvellous melodies with your mates. Whatever it is, that air of anything tinges the air with electricity in the wonderfully brilliant We Are the Best that captures that glorious element of youth as it is chaotically charged by punk…
Based on a graphic novel by Coco Moodysson, the director Lukas’ wife, We Are The Best follows three rambunctious young ladies as they tackle puberty and punk in equal amounts. Mohawk-sporting Klara and her timid friend Bobo want to form a band and rebel like their musical heroes. However, neither of them know how to play or have any talent to match their passions. That is they enlist their shy and becoming religious friend Hedvig who is trained in classical guitar-plaining. Opening Hedvig up to their world, the three form an energetic force to be captured with…
Moodysoon, his direction and writing, is incredible at capturing that youthful kinetic elements rife in adolescence and gleeful tunes, however awful they may be aurally. The film works at conveying this spirituous riotous moments in teens wanting to adapt and evolve to a particular look and genre whilst still running headstrong with their passions. Equally, Moodysoon implements over-emotional moments such as crushes and fights as the three try to enforce their own voice, particularly against Kara’s roaring personality as she tries to command the three. Ever so subtly, as well, Moodysoon perfectly ensnares sorrow filled moments with problems at home or the girl’s first illegal taste of alcohol. All these components just mix impeccable to echo a beautiful, sentimental film that is droll as it is visceral.
The acting from the young leads is terrific and they have talent to boot. It feels less like we’re watching performances and more that the camera has documented the life of ordinary extraordinary young ladies. Teaming with authenticity and three rambunctious spirits, equally unique and on par with one another, Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin, and Liv LeMoyne take their characters and enhances them with quirks and braveness. With bouts of optimism and trepidation each has a roaring voice that yells, “I’m here” and the young actresses command their presence with ease and excitement.
It’s a fond film to watch and even fonder as it sends you on a nostalgia trip in a redolent coming of age story. It’s fun and energetic, charged with the beat that still thuds inside adults. There is a sense of familiarity here for adults to appease themselves in, remembering garage bands and equally bouts of fear that rumbles through you unsure. Boys, bands, and best friends, We Are The Best certainly lives up to its title.