Inadvands
Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess
Bea Swanson
This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
Sameer Callahan
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Tayyab Torres
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
SnoopyStyle
It's 1982 Stockholm. Bobo and Klara are outcast 13 year old girls. Bobo lives with her single mom. Klara is angry, political and rebellious. They want to play punk despite people telling them that punk is dead. The only problem is that they don't know how to play music. They befriend shy religious Hedvig who teaches them how to play music. The girls' friendships go through a haircut, some boy troubles and band disputes. In the end, they get a gig and cause a minor riot.The puppy punk is cute but kinda meaningless. Sometimes they are more brats than rebels. I guess rebelling against gym class is important when you're that young. It doesn't dig that deep. The girls' friendship is the more compelling thing in this movie. It's best when the girls deal with the ups and downs of their relationship. The characters are well-drawn and the girls are fair actors.
Daniel Clitheroe
Cannot remember seeing a film I enjoyed as much as "We are the best!". Guess it helped being in a full cinema, noisy as well with so much laugh-out-loud laughter. At its heart the film is about two thirteen year olds, Bobo and Klara. Later a third girl, Hedvig, is introduced but it's the relationship between Bobo and Klara that makes the film. There's a scene with Bobo and Klara in bed together after a party held by Klara's older brother Linus which is especially poignant, reminiscent of the night time scene from "Stand by me" with Will Wheaton and River Phoenix. There are so many unforgettable scenes, some, because of their root in reality (like "Fools and Horses" for example) so belly achingly funny. Everyone, and I mean everyone, in front of and behind the camera is brilliant. It's mighty close to being the perfect film. I loved this film. It is the best!
Hellmant
'WE ARE THE BEST!': Four Stars (Out of Five)Swedish-Danish drama flick about three teenage girls, that decide to form a punk band together; in 1982 Stockholm. It stars a cast of mostly unknowns; including Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin and Liv LeMoyne (as the three leads). It was written and directed by Lukas Moodysson and it's based on the 2008 graphic novel 'Never Goodnight'; by Coco Moodysson (the director's wife). The film received mostly rave reviews and it's appeared on many American critics' 2014 Top 10 lists. I found it to be inspiring and beautifully natural.Bobo (Barkhammar) and Klara (Grosin) are two 13-year-old girls, growing up in 1982 Stockholm. They're outsiders at their school, due to their androgynous appearance and love for punk rock music; which many consider a 'dead art form'. They decide to form a band, despite not knowing how to play any instruments, as a way of rebelling against popular culture. Later they enlist a Christian girl named Hedvig (LeMoyne), from their school, to help them learn how to play chords and sing songs. Hedvig plays classical guitar, very well, and she's also a social outcast. The three girls form a beautiful team. The movie is very impressive; in how it captures youth so realistically. The dialogue is really believable; and the three lead performances are super natural. If I didn't know any better, I would have totally believed it was a documentary (almost). The directing is completely fitting to the material and the story is beautifully inspiring. What a great movie for all kids, of almost any age, to see. Especially social outsiders and those that love punk music. The soundtrack is also totally awesome! I highly recommend it; to kids and adults alike.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://youtu.be/fbw9P594Crc
laserdanger
We follow Bobo and her best friend Klara through their tween years. Both of these girls share little in common with their classmates and by default are relegated as misfits. The world they inhabit is not particularly cruel to them and because of this it is hard to sympathize with their radical views surrounding God and good taste. The lack of compression in conjunction with the relative length of the film led to a lackluster ending. The events all fell into place relatively easily. I never saw a raw drive in these girls. It has to be noted that what was portrayed was not necessarily the world rejecting them but their choice to reject the world around them. Because of this these characters must compel us and win us over. The big show at the end lacked the emotional weight and significance that it could have attained mostly because the girls really didn't fight that hard for the band.I relate to Bobo and am sympathetic to her but the film simply didn't go anywhere. The weak narrative structure necessitates a strong narrative voice which the story lacked. Bobo is interesting in that her body image issues, environment, and views give the story a lot to work with. The mousiness of her character held back the film especially considering that there was no defined antagonist acting against her or Klara.I would not recommend this film. It is the particulars of their world that make them unique and quite frankly punk could have been substituted for any number of things and the film would not have been much different. The film does not capitalize on the rich history of punk, it is merely a window dressing.