|
 The
art of the perfect teen movie: We in the Good Ol’ US of A have been
gifted with some fabulous choices; from the Flapper films of the 1920’s,
to the in praise of the juvenile delinquent 1950’s Rebel Without a Cause
and Blackboard Jungle, the 60’s with their vacillations between the
innocent beach party movies and then-shocking dares-with-yes films like
A Summer Place. My favourite period for teen films was the 80’s, with
the advent of MTV more attention was paid to the tastes of the teenage
demographic than anytime since Frankie wowed the bobbysoxers at the
Paramount. The 80’s teens had their own Frankie, and he say Relax. The
unequivocal Pied Piper of the 80’s teen film was a fella out of Chicago
named John Hughes. I believe he was in his mid-30’s when he wrote and
directed first paean to teenagerdom, 1984’s Sixteen Candles, followed by
The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink (- which he wrote, but didn’t direct)
and several other testaments to teenage angst.
What sets John Hughes films apart from other films
aimed at teenagers at that time (- and Lord Knows there were many, from
the heights of Heathers, Valley Girl, and Better off Dead, to the dregs
of the Allnighter, and –despite guest starring Johnny Depp’s nekkid bum
– Private Resort), is his regard for his subject matter. His comedy
could be broad and his films weren’t filled with heart stopping plot
twists, but he never underestimated the intelligence of his teenage
characters, or his equally youthful audience. For once, a film maker
“got” the kids. His movies were essentially tried and true fairy tales
where the redheaded, befreckled heroine got her Jake, Bender, or Blane,
Ferris got his day off without getting caught, and Keith finally
understood that Watts was the perfect girl for him all along. John
Hughes, with his snappy dialogue and brilliant soundtracks made the
youth market seem like for some 90 minutes, it would be entertained, but
it wasn’t going to be patronized.
It’s no wonder that Linda Linda Linda put me
directly in the mind of those 1980’s John Hughes films. It is a
refreshing look at Asian teenagerhood that bears none of the
hopelessness and sexuality of 1997’s Bounce KO Gals, or the violence and
nihilism of 2000’s brilliant Battle Royale. The premise is, like in the
Hughes films, a simple one; after the loss of their lead singer, can the
remaining girls in an amateur rock band (- Played by Yu Kashii, Aki Maeda
and Shiori Sekine) pull off acquiring a new lead singer and learning
three new songs before the big high school festival? Adding to their
troubles is the only person available to sing lead is a Korean exchange
student (- Played by Bae Doo-Na) with only limited Japanese, who has to
learn the song lyrics phonetically. The title of the film is the name of
one of the three songs the girls intend to cover by a 1980’s Japanese
punk band called The Blue Hearts. The girls’ pure pluck and their
determination to make it to the show; traveling miles away to available
studio space for daily rehearsals, staying up until all hours, and
putting their burgeoning love lives on hold for the sake of the band,
absolutely catches you up and makes you root for them as they grow more
confident as bandmates and closer as friends. The film is not
particularly heavily dialogued, but the few pearls that we get are
intelligent and occasionally hilarious. The cinematography is mostly
done in a documentary style which gives you a fly-on-the-wall sense of
authenticity.
The acting is very solid throughout and Bae Doo-Na’s
performance in particular. was a standout. As Son, the Korean exchange
student, her expressive face tells us everything her limited vocabulary
won’t allow. Her performance reminds me of Charlie Chaplin’s Little
Tramp in her ability to relate her feelings of isolation, befuddlement,
amusement and joy without use of words. The film’s finale is a pure joy.
This is easily one of my favourite movies of the
past year (- though it was released in 2005 in Japan – We get everything
last!). Everything from the premise to the mesmerizing soundtrack by
James Iha (- who I believe was a farmer before his foray into music, I
understand he had something to do with pumpkins) to the performances is
just perfect. It’s a sharp and refreshing film; I defy anyone who sees
Linda Linda Linda to not want to immediately start a band or wonder why
you didn’t start one in high school.
Director Nobuhiro Yamashita never
dumbs down or plays his characters cheap, and consequently neither does
his audience. He allows the sensitivity, sweetness and determination of
his teenage characters to shine through without ever getting mawkish or
cliché. He “gets” them, and gives us, as viewers, insight to this secret
and endangered race known as the teenager, very much like that Hughes
chap I was chatting about a while ago. I can’t wait to see Yamashita’s
next film, but in the meantime, I urge everyone who might be lucky
enough to catch Linda Linda Linda as it slowly wends its way through
limited release, to get your blessing. You’ll thank me.
~ The
Lady Miz Diva/Mighty Ganesha
Jan. 3rd, 2007
PS: Just found from the fine folks at Viz Media
that LLL is coming to a very fortunate DVD player near you on April 7th,
2007. Grab yourself a shiny, round disk o’ joy!
Update - Oct 8, 2007 - Hey
Girls and Boys, check our news page,
...and Nonsense, for info about the live action
version of Death Note, starring the adorable
Kenichi
Matsuyama, who plays Bae Doo-Na's
Korean speaking unrequited love in LLL.
Or, click on the Death Note logo! |
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