Ah, to be young again and in love. Director/co-writer Adrian Moyse Dullin’s short film, The Right Words, is the story of a young boy in love and the insurmountable mountain he must climb to make that all-important first move.
Every day Kenza (Aya Halal) and her little brother, Madhi (Yasser Osmani), take the bus to and from school. The pair regularly go at one another on social media as siblings do. Still, in the act of ultimate humiliation, Kenza plans to post Madhi’s love poems for the girl across the bus, Jada (Sanya Salhi), online. Showing a bit of mercy, Kenza and her friend, Aïssatou (Ramatoulaye Ndongo), encourage Madhi to take the first step. Simple enough if it were not for the sea of students between the two and their ever-present phones capturing every moment of Madhi’s perilous journey.
“…in the act of ultimate humiliation, Kenza plans to post Madhi’s love poems for the girl across the bus…”
The first triumph of The Right Words is the performances that Dullin gets from his teen cast. Each performance is heartfelt and authentic and takes place on a freakin’ bus. Have you ever tried to do anything on a bus? The crowded bus never feels crowded. Emma Benestan and Dullin’s screenplay allows the story to breathe properly. Not being exactly the studliest of dudes, Yasser Osmani nails the young boy in love walking the longest ten feet of his life. In his way are every social obstacle imaginable that could prevent him from reaching his goal.
It’s good to know that the trials and tribulations of declaring one’s love for another haven’t changed over the years, even with social media. Dullin shows that when it’s all said and done, it’s about one person standing in front of another and expressing their love for the other. For young Madhi, it’s about overcoming the fear of rejection, the public humiliation and finding those right words that make a difference. The Right Words is a sweet and maybe triumphant tale of young love.
"…each performance is heartfelt and authentic..."
