83. THE WORST ONES (2023) dir. Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret

THE WORST ONES is an eye-catching title. It conjures, in my mind, that scene from Guy Ritchie's THE GENTLEMEN when Colin Farrell gives four shithead teens a verbal and physical lashing in a restaurant. These kids are boisterous and braggadocious as fuck until challenged by someone who clearly knows what they're doing. That's when the insecurity all spills out. That's the tragedy and comedy of it all.Lise Akoka & Romane Gueret's movie balances on a similar tightrope. There are both meta and autobiographical notes to it all, as the duo actually worked with hundreds of children in casting sessions. They wear working-class backgrounds on their sleeves, choosing to take street-level approaches to their French cities instead of harping on Parisian glamour or artistic majesty. Not to say they do so in defiance of art or majesty. I think the movie, looking at how working on a film set molds these four kids from a rough neighborhood, defies any, if even well-meaning, stereotypical approach to folks from "the hood." There's art and beauty and majesty lying in wait within each one of us.Sometimes, all you need is the right opportunity to start letting that stuff out.---------------------------Review THE MOVIES on Apple Podcasts & I'll read it on the next episode!Follow The Movies on ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠& ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠Financially support the podcast via the ⁠⁠tip jar!