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Radical Review: Eugenio Derbez Brings Warmth To Bittersweet True Story [Sundance] Sundance2023
The outside-the-box teacher who inspires their world-weary students to reach beyond themselves is a narrative path than has been well-trod, but rarely has a film thoroughly explored why said students can't just do it themselves. Radical manages to do just that, depicting the dire circumstances of its characters almost too well while introducing audiences to its hero of higher education.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY Derbez plays Sergio Juarez, the real-life educator at the heart of Radical who makes the surprising choice of requesting a transfer to Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary in Matamoros. Even the school's principal , or "Director" as he's referred to throughout the Spanish-language school, cannot believe his ears.
And shine they do, for Radical follows its supporting cast of elementary schoolers as they move through their daily lives outside of class. Class clown Niko slowly starts to fall in love with learning, but his ties to the neighborhood gang hold him back and seem impossible to cut. Lupe, meanwhile, wants nothing more than to debate philosophy like John Stuart Mill, but her mother's latest pregnancy threatens to take her out of school and turn her into a full-time babysitter.
Each of these children's stories must walk a difficult tightrope, simultaneously justifying their reluctance to pursue education while also showcasing how Sergio's interference in their lives is a boon rather than a burden. This is the most challenging mission for Radical to accomplish and the part where it most falls into the trap of feel-good afterschool special tropes.
Tragedy and triumph go hand in hand as Radical's runtime runs down, though perhaps the film fails to linger long enough on either in its conclusion. The strength of the story rests firmly in Derbez's sensitive portrayal and his touching moments with each student, proving that Sergio does know how to spark a genuine excitement for education by tapping into a child's personal interests.
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