Radical (film)
| Radical | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Sundace release poster | |
| Directed by | Christopher Zalla |
| Screenplay by | Christopher Zalla |
| Based on | A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses by Joshua Davis |
| Produced by | Benjamin Odell Joshua Davis Eugenio Derbez |
| Starring | Eugenio Derbez Daniel Haddad Jennifer Trejo Mia Fernanda Soli |
| Cinematography | Mateo London |
| Edited by | Eugenio Richer |
| Music by | Pascual Reyes Juan Pablo Villa |
Production companies | 3Pas Studios EPIC Magazine The Lift |
| Distributed by | Pantelion Films Participant |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
Radical is a 2023 Mexican comedy-drama film written and directed by Christopher Zalla.[1] The film is based on the 2013 Wired article, "A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses" by Joshua Davis.[2] The film stars Eugenio Derbez as the teacher Sergio Juarez.[3][4]
The movie, which is Zalla's second directorial feature film for theatrical release, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it was the recipient of the Festival Favorite Award.
Plot
Students at the harshly-run Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary in Matamoros come from an oppressive environment rife with violence and suffer some of the worst academic scores in all of Mexico. Teacher Sergio Juarez finds an opportunity to attempt a different approach with his sixth-grade class despite having little idea what he's doing. His unorthodox teaching style helps his students learn and inspires them to achieve their full potential.
Critical Reception
The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney wrote that "director Christopher Zalla adheres to the subgenre's conventions and doesn't stint on sentimentality, but Radical more than earns its surging emotional payoff".[5] Johnny Oleksinski, reviewing the film in the New York Post calls Radical "a Spanish-language gem about a real teacher's impact on a poor Mexican border town".[6]
In her review for the New York Times, Natalia Winkelman wrote that Radical is "a sentimental drama that is based on a true story but boxes neatly into familiar packaging. The title is nearly oxymoronic: It boldly belies how close to convention the film hews."[7] Echoing criticism over the film's formulaic style, Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com opined that "Radical feels too often like its drama has been copied from a tearjerking textbook; it’s nearly flagrant about having so many predictable beats" and noted that while "there’s no inherent problem with aiming to be a crowd-pleaser, [...] the heartwarming real stuff feels too good to be true."[8]
On Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 46 reviews are considered positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Offering few surprises but plenty of uplift, Radical tells a stirring fact-based story brought to life by some top-flight work from Eugenio Derbez."[9] As per Metacritic, the film has received "generally favorable reviews", with a weighted average score of 71/100 based on 13 critics' ratings.[10]
References
- ^ Oleksinski, Johnny (January 20, 2023). "Sundance review: Sweet school drama 'Radical' stars Eugenio Derbez".
- ^ Davis, Joshua. "A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses". Wired.
- ^ Parra, Rosa (January 24, 2023). "Rosa's Reviews: "Radical" In Mexico".
- ^ ""Radical" staring Eugenio Derbez: the story of Sergio Juarez, a real-life hero, wins "Festival Favorite Award" at Sundance 2023". January 29, 2023.
- ^ Rooney, David (January 27, 2023). "'Radical' Review: Eugenio Derbez Plays an Unorthodox Teacher in a Standard but Appealing Crowd-Pleaser". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "'A Thousand and One' and 'Going to Mars' win top prizes at Sundance". money.yahoo.com. 27 January 2023.
- ^ Winkelman, Natalia (November 2, 2023). "Radical Review: To Sergio With Love". New York Times. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ Allen, Nick (January 20, 2023). "Sundance 2023: Radical, The Longest Goodbye". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Radical". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Radical". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
