Linda Linda Linda (2005)

             Linda Linda Linda            

NETFLIX SYNOPSIS:  It’s three days before the big school talent show and Kyoto, Kei and Nozumi are in a fix when their lead singer quits over artistic differences. Their only candidate to fill the spot is a Korean foreign exchange student who can barely speak any Japanese. Time for some all-night rehearsals! Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita and featuring a score by former Smashing Pumpkins member James Iha, this lighthearted comedy stars Du-na Bae and Yu Kashii.

REVIEW:  I was really looking forward to seeing a fun flick that opens a window into Japanese pop culture with the girls rocking out to some great music based on all of the glowing reviews.  Unfortunately, this film turned out to be only mildly entertaining for me and an overall disappointment.  I say disappointing because this could have been such a great movie (I guess other NF members DO think it is a great movie).  Having seen many Japanese movies (current, classic, blockbuster, indie) and having spent a lot of time in Japan, I normally can grasp the gist of the plot (even if it seems confusing or otherwise unimpregnable) and navigate some of the subtler cultural differences, but I did feel that much was lost in translation to me. Perhaps this is a much better film to native Japanese, though judging by the reviews (I’m sure not all of them are native Japanese), I’m either missing out or I nodded off on all the interesting parts. And yes, me nodding off a few times usually screams: more use of the cutting room please!

The story involves three high school girls, all different personalities in their own rights, who have a band and are looking for a fourth member to be the vocals after a falling-out with the current vocal.  By being at the “right?” place at the “right?” time, which means she was carrying a load of laundry down the stairs from her dorm, Du-Na Bae (star of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) becomes lead vocal with only days ’til the big rock festival at the school and, no less, she happens to be a Korean exchange student with iffy Japanese!  This is getting good!  Begin plot.

So what’s the problem?  The film was p..a..i..n..f..u..l..l..y slow. I understand and liked the cultural windows the film provides, like the uniquely Japanese more of a boy announcing to a girl that he likes her and some other good scenes, but continued scenes of the girls practicing late into night with no seeming beginning, middle or end, and similar dialogue, became repetitive.  Other scenes in the film (like where the guitarist heads up to the rooftop to talk to another student), standing alone or viewed in context of the plot as a whole, seemed unnecessary as they do nothing to enhance plot, enhance background or enhance character.  These scenes all could have been replaced with scenes that dig deeper into the girls’ personalities (what we’re left with is just a superficial nick).

The predictable ending where the band rocks out to their enthusiastic classmates is the best thing about this film – the music is a lot of fun and the title reflects the name of the song from The Blue Hearts that they’ve been practicing.  I couldn’t get it out of my head for an entire day – picking up the phone with Linda Linda! still in my head, if not expressed over the phone, is always the sign of a catchy tune.

Well, I lied.  The “other” best thing about this film is the special features.  Distributed by VIZ Media (which also distributed my most recent Japanese favorite, Kamikaze Girls), I wasn’t surprised to find many special features similar to the ones offered on KG, including one for “culture tips” and (score!) a trailer for KG and other cool flicks like Densha Otoko (Train Man).

I also like the actors chosen to play the girls – you may recognize them from Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and the Ringu series, among other films.  And Yu Kashii is totally gorgeous as the guitarist, but a somewhat temperamental, sullen and strong-willed character – reminds me of Ichigo (not strawberry!) Shirayuri in Kamikaze Girls.

Final Rating: 3 stars.
Audrey