While we don’t have a full review up just yet, Lukas Moodysson‘s “We Are The Best!” made a strong enough impression on us on the festival circuit, that it made the honorable mentions of our list of The 21 Best Films Of 2014 We’ve Already Seen. While the filmmaker is perhaps best known for his grittier fare such as “Lilja 4-ever,” “Together,” and “Mammoth,” for his latest he turns in a different direction.
Set in early-1980s Stockholm, and starring Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin and Liv LeMoyne, the story follows three teenage girls who form a punk rock group and let their new ethos spread into every aspect of their education, friendships, and family lives. Sounds like a unique take on the coming-of-age tale, and it’s based on the actual experiences of Moodysson’s wife, Coco Moodysoon, whose graphic novel “Never Goodnight,” was adapted for the film.
“We Are The Best!” plays the Montclair and San Francisco Film Festivals in May and will open later this year via Magnolia Pictures.
I don't think you've seen "Together". It's not gritty at all, in fact it's VERY similar to this film, which I saw at a festival last year. They're both good-natured, warm-hearted period films about the relationships between surprisingly realistic children and hopelessly clueless adults in late 70s/early 80s Sweden. In addition, his massively successful (in Sweden, at least) first feature, 'Show Me Love" is also in the same vein. His dark films were a move away from the first two, this is a move back to that style.