What do you do as a young romantic in love with a girl? Do you walk up and tell her? Do you avoid her at all costs? Do you, in cliche fashion, tease her? In Madhi’s (Yasser Osmani) case, he is manipulated into professing his love to Jada (Sanya Salhi) in front of a bunch of strangers. He’s tasked with finding The Right Words to say to Jada as he’s recorded by a series of bystanders mocking his every move.
Viewers are immediately drawn into a film that feels massively dramatic. It’s not instantly clear why the film is so dramatic, but that feeling exists nonetheless. As the film begins to develop, and the motives of each and every character rises to the surface, The Right Words grows even more intense. Viewers are easily able to fall in love with Madhi–a young, innocent boy with a crush. We’ve all been there. There’s been a time in our lives when we struggled with our emotions in regard to someone we found attractive–and that feeling of uncertainty is both harrowing and beautiful. Writer-Director Adrian Moyse Dullin captures this reality brilliantly. I felt like I was in Mahdi’s shoes, struggling with my first crush all over again–but he takes it one step further than a lot of kids his age would have been able to–he approaches Jada.
In this moment the narrative peaks, and viewers are hit by a tidal wave of emotions that consumes them, even starts to bury them. It becomes overwhelming seeing this young man express his feelings, wondering how his crush will react. The Right Words never relents in terms of emotion from the opening moments until the final seconds.
I often use the word intimate when discussing cinematography that takes place in smaller spaces–but that’s not quite the case with The Right Words. Nearly the entire film takes place on a bus–and it’s not intimate, it’s claustrophobic. Viewers are forced into a confined space in which Mahdi deals with the film’s antagonist Kenza (Aya Halal)–and, as mentioned, viewers feel claustrophobic as a result. I believe that creating this feeling throughout the course of The Right Words lends itself well to success–strengthening the emotion present in the film and making it more accessible to viewers.
In a lot of ways The Right Words is a testament to just how fucked up the world is. We see, over and over again, a series of individuals doing things that bystanders know to be messed up. We know that the things playing out in The Right Words aren’t acceptable–but we’ve all seen these things happen in real life (many of us have even taken part in things like this). Dullin and Writers Emma Benestan and Éléonore Gurrey constantly remind viewers of the state of the world in which we live, often presented in a dark, harrowing light. However, there is a glimmer of hope that exists throughout The Right Words as well. It manifests itself as innocence and love, and it plays a role in creating balance, but also providing that glimmer of hope for viewers everywhere. Viewers are beaten down again and again throughout the course of the film–but those tiny instances of light play such a pivotal role in keeping the ball rolling and viewers engaged.
The Right Words is soul crushing in a lot of ways. It repeatedly tells viewers about the horrible things that exist in this world–and the emotional relevance that exists throughout the film is simply incredible. Viewers are able to see pieces of themselves, both good and bad, in the characters on screen. We feel connected to them, like they are a part of us–and the narrative only strengthens the connection between viewer and film. Again, The Right Words is a testament to all the bad that surrounds us–but it reminds us that there is hope for us all.
Directed by Adrian Moyse Dullin.
Written by Emma Benestan, Adrian Moyse Dullin, & Éléonore Gurrey.
Starring Yasser Osmani, Aya Halal, Ramatoulaye N’dongo, Sanya Salhi, Radwan Saifeddine, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
