“WE ARE THE BEST!” ****
Punk is not dead. At least for two pre-teen girls who are trying to find themselves amidst a bunch of uninteresting people surrounding them. They are being avoided and suffering with rejection, but they stand still to their lifestyle and perspectives. As they get tired of being mocked as the ugliest girls in town, they decide forming a rock band to prove their capacity and persuade a Christian girl to join them and teach them some musical lessons. Set in Stockholm in early 80’s this marvelous coming of age comedy directed by Lukas Moodysson elevates the unforgettable phases of youth, through rebellion, self-discovery, and the first contacts with the harsh realities of life. They are being avoided by their colleagues, their parents, and everyone else who try to block their way. But they are determined to go on with the punk band, and their efforts to make it happen, are the most precious moments in this piece. When they meet a couple of boys immediately identifying the same aspects of their choices, they find that life isn’t just a playground and some rules must be followed in order to grow. Smart, heart-warming, filled up with irreverence and razor sharp dialogs, the story feels natural and spontaneous, supported by the charisma of its young players, giving it reasons enough to make it one of this year’s best.
BEFORE THE HEAT
Angelina Jolie is sensuous and scary as “Maleficent”, Disney’s re-adaption of Sleeping Beauty, turning the story upside down. The film is well produced, with dazzling set designs that resembles the Gothic era, but I just wonder the reason why Hollywood now is turning villains into heroes. Not recommended for children. In “The Immigrant”, a trio of fantastic actors, Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner are involved in a love triangle of lust, decadence and outlaw purposes. Although the story lacks emotion and coherence, the actors give powerful performances saving it from waste. While Jarmusch’s look into immortality and the pleasures of the Vampire’s journey on earth in “Only Lovers Left Alive” lead by Tilda Swinton is a somber and magnificent experience, Scarlett Johannson’s bares it all as an alien hungry for male flesh in “Under The Skin”, but the film seems like an erotic videoclip, nothing else. “Elena” is a compelling tale about family ties, through an investigation of a woman putting together the pieces of a puzzle to understand her sister’s death and brief career. Jesse Eisenberg appears in two independent films, and both of them are not worth the risk, the confusing “The Double” based on the Dostoyesvsky’s novel and “Night Moves”, directed with sensibility by Kelly Reichardt, but the thriller with eco message ends up lost with the lack of enthusiasm and the dragging narrative. Hello, summer?
Comments