We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!) (Lukas Moodysson, 2013): Sweden

Reviewed by Simon Rosen. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2014

When I was browsing the homepage looking for films to watch during the festival I stumble upon this Swedish made film We Are the Best (Vi är bäst!) made by Lukas Moodysson who also made Show Me Love (Fucking Åmål), Lilya 4-Ever and many others. Right then I knew I had to go and see this movie and I’m from Sweden so I know a little bit about Lukas Moodysson previous work but it was like 10-13 years ago I saw Show Me Love (Fucking Åmål) and Lilya 4-Ever but I do remember loving those movies.

And yes I do love this one too.

The film takes place in Stockholm 1982 and it’s about three 12-13 year old girls, Bobo (Mira Barkhammar), Klara (Mira Grosin) and Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne) that starts a punk band even though everybody is saying that the punk is dead. Bobo and Klara have been friends for a long time and through a conflict that happen in the youth center they formed a band, not knowing how to play or anything. They later meet Hedvig through a Talent show in school, she being the only one that actually can play Bobo and Klara then approaches her in an attempt to get her to join the band. Hedvig is the christian kid in school that everybody bullies and Bobo and Klara approaches her and gets her to join the band so they could learn how to play, Hedvig is the only one in the band that can actually play.  

Only one of the girls have an acting background while the other two girls have no acting background, but I got to say that their acting are really impressive and amazing for a first time actors, especially for young kids. Lukas Moodysson really manages to capture the time that the Stockholm is set, the music is just perfect, always playing punk-rock, good ol’ oldies from the 80’s. The clothes brings me back to old photos I’ve seen from my dad and mom, people actually looked like that once in Sweden.

Stand up for yourself, be yourself and never be afraid to show everybody who you are, that is something that we all clearly learns from theses three little girls, doesn’t matter if people tell them that punk is dead, they will still do there own thing and that is what I love about theses characters.

I recommend seeing any movie that Lukas Moodysson has made especially Show me Love, Lilya-4-ever and this one.