Review of We Are the Best! (2013) by Ben L — 29 Mar 2017

We Are the Best was definitely different. I guess I expected more music or some sign that they were improving, but this film was more focused on the friendships. I liked the characters, and particularly liked the dynamic shift when Hedvig joined.

I honestly didn't realize it was a foreign language film when I started, so that threw me for a loop. And I've discovered, for all the issues that I have with reading subtitles, that is magnified by a factor of a thousand when it comes to reading subtitles to songs. The English lyrics often don't flow with the music so I struggle to even read them while the music is playing.

The girls they brought in for this film were very natural. It never felt like acting, almost as if the director just gave them a general outline of the scene and let them talk normal to each other. I also thought they had an interesting look with the punk haircuts and masculine clothes. I'll admit, I didn't know Bobo was a girl until someone said it aloud.

We Are the Best was not a bad teen drama with a sprinkling of comedic moments. I cared about the characters and rooted for them along the way. The ups-and-downs of their friendships was totally engaging. I just wanted there to be a bit more focus on the music or something, and not the same 2 songs over and over again. The movie is not exactly my cup of tea, but it's well made.