Movie review: We Are The Best!

The lead trio from We Are The Best!

We Are The Best! is based on the graphic novel by director Lukas Moodysson's wife, Never Goodnight, about growing up as a teenage punk in Stockholm in the early 1980s. Anyone who was teenager at this time, regardless of where they were living, will relate to the scene Moodysson sets in this little gem of film.

It features Bobo (Barkhammar), the neglected child of a solo mum, and Klara (Grosin), the middle child from a slightly eccentric household, who are fervently into punk, even though everyone else has moved on to Joy Division. On a whim, they start a band and, as neither girl can play an instrument, ask Hedvig (LeMoyne), a classical guitar-playing Christian, to join.

The girls get better at playing their one song (Hate the Sport! Hate the Sport!), but the fact they're still a pretty lousy band by the end is what makes the story so charming. Music's powerful ability to give people a voice and unite them is part of the story, but first and foremost it's a film about friendship and not being afraid to be different.

These girls (all played by newcomers) walk and talk like real 13-year-olds.

From the way their different personalities relate to each other, to their embarrassment over the way their mothers behave, and the impact boys suddenly have on their group, it's the real deal as opposed to the cliched version.

Moodysson's handheld camera approach keeps things grounded and natural, but it's his genuine affection for his characters that wins you over. Though at times poignant, We Are The Best! is also a deliciously warm, funny and upbeat celebration of the difficult teenage years.

Verdict: A warm, spirited and uplifting film about teen rebellion

Cast: Mira Barkhammar, Liv LeMoyne, Mira Grosin, David Dencik
Director: Lukas Moodysson
Running Time: 102 mins
Rating: M (offensive language)
Note: In Swedish with English subtitles

- TimeOut