Los reyes del mundo

Bob Dylan had that song that enumerated several injustices, each one more disheartening than the previous, and it sang sort of "it still ain't time for your tears" until the very end. Something along those lines happens here. Because I loved this from the minute one. I cried several times. It moved me. I loved this raw, beautiful, striking portrait of having nothing, and nothing is everything you will ever have. I loved the social commentary at various levels. I loved the cast performances, so real, so powerful. The movie rests on them and they just jump out of the screen to give you pure, new cinema. But it's a couple of hours later, when, still digesting the movie, still wondering, when I read this article in which I learn that the main protagonist is making his living, a year after production, months after travelling to San Sebastián to collect the main prize, out of selling sweets in the streets of Medellin. Now it's the time for your tears.

I was shocked at how immersing and moving this film was, we're thrown in the harsh reality of these children, seemingly hopless when shown with what could be a major change for their livelyhoods, and so they embark on their journey.

They're helped along their quest and guided by some, but these "gamines" are also given a hard time by people who couldn't care less about their situation and just deem them as scum, a sad reality of our modern world.

A shimmer of hope in the form of a white horse in the opening sequence stays with them until the very end of their quest. Magical realism is seen ever so slightly and beautifully along the film.

Some amazing shots, I was caught by surprise by how well crafted and sophisticated some scenes are, astounding.

As the experience of watching this movie passed by, I found myself in a difficult place about my feelings.

As a Colombian, I usually would usually feel scared or even repulsed if I encountered someone like our protagonists walking on the streets. "Neas", "indigentes"; the kind of people my mother would tell me to run away from if I ever saw them. I would feel disgusted by their way of speaking, their ignorance, the words they use, their violent, mindless behaviour.

Nonetheless, only a heartless monster wouldn't feel compelled by the journey our protagonists face in this movie.

What most impacts me about Colombian cinema is that it shows me a reality I'm trying to scape, a reality I totally hate seeing.

But I can't, and I shouldn't. There are people, right now and right here in my city. God, it's so important, so difficult and painful to face this reality and realise the people I despise are beings even more human than I'll ever be, with worries more tragic than mine and feelings even deeper than my own.

This is what art is about: not about escaping our reality, but about seeing the beauty in it.

"The Kings of the World" (2022) is a wild ride that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and adventures. Imagine the Little Rascals, but on the streets of Medellín, and you've got this heartwarming yet slightly bonkers tale. The film's plot revolves around Rá and his gang of street-smart misfits, and let me tell you, their journey from city streets to the Colombian wilderness is a journey you won't soon forget.

The film brilliantly combines moments of heartwarming camaraderie with laugh-out-loud disobedience. It's like watching a bunch of scrappy kids trying to outwit the world's most stubborn grown-ups, only this time, the grown-ups are paramilitaries. The performances from the young cast are outstanding, and the chemistry between them is infectious. And let's not forget the sex workers who add both humor and heart to the story, providing short-term maternity care with a twist you won't see coming!

As the gang searches for their "promised land," you'll find yourself rooting for these underdogs every step of the way. "The Kings of the World" is a unique blend of adventure, friendship, and resistance, and it's a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming yet hilariously rebellious journey. Four and a half stars because, well, they had us at "parallel world without laws"!

This film has a beautifully simple storyline that manages to capture the dreams and struggles of a group of street kids on a roadtrip from Medellín, Colombia, to a poor and rural region.

Los reyes del mundo shows us both the best and the worst in humans, without being loud or in your face about it. We see the empathy of strangers, but also the lack of it. We see undying friendship, but also friendship cracking under pressure.

The cast puts in an incredibly impressive performance. I don't know anything about their backgrounds, but they hardly miss a beat.

If you're in the mood for a lighthearted feel-good movie, this is not the one for you. But otherwise I warmly recommend it.