Review: My wife graciously introduced me to The Blue Hearts in 2004 on a trip to Japan to see family. We were hanging out in a karaoke room with friends singing mindless tunes when someone yelled out “Let’s do some Blue Hearts.” Not knowing a lick about who they were, I sat and waited patiently for the song to start and be over. My wife turned to me and assured me that the chorus was in English and that I would catch on easily. What spit out of the speakers was the inevitable Linda Linda. From the very first time, you here the song you are hooked. Its so damn catchy and so damn fun, which is a perfect way to describe The Blue Hearts inspired film LINDA LINDA LINDA.

I had been dying to see this film for a while. It had played last year’s New York Asian Film Festival and our rather tight film viewing schedule force us to choose between LINDA LINDA LINDA and FUNKY FOREST. Naturally, the power of Asano Tadanobu drew us instead to the latter overpowering our love for the Blue Hearts. So when it came time to review the film, you can say I was pretty ecstatic and overabundant anxious. Luckily, for my sake, it did not disappoint.

What really makes this film shine is it’s lead performance by Korean sensation Bae Doo-na. Cast as the Korean exchange student picked literally by random to front a band for the talent show, Doo-na really makes the film into something quite special. Her adorable broken Japanese and awkward movements make for great entertainment and you really start to fall in love with her character’s charm and quirkiness. Often times, her role brings out most of the film’s humor. She really seems nail the transformation of Son from an outcast into a bonafide lead singer. By films end, you are convinced that she is ready to take on anything and that is what I really liked about the film. I found Doo-na’s character to be the most real out of the bunch and you seem to fully get a sense of that she has matured over the course of the film’s running time. As a fish out of water herself, Bae Doo-na took a lot of risk by starring in a film based solely in a language unfamiliar to her and often times actors who are placed into this predicament rarely succeed. In my opinion, she really hits this one out of the park and makes everyone else’s character stronger because of it.

In a time when high school films are a dime a dozen and are generally made to appeal selectively to a younger generation of viewers, LINDA LINDA LINDA seems to really give a fresh spin on the genre and break down the wall barrier of the enjoyment age. By pretty much making music a character of it’s own, the film is brought above and beyond your conventional perception of the genre at hand. What I found most compelling about the film is how close it may hit home for real high school students in today’s society. Hidden in the film is social commentary about how life growing up in this time and place as you try to make your way through school. The film recognizes that there will be times when life and love are not always perfect. Friendships may end ubruptly. True loves may go unnoticed. That is really is the reality of growing up and I believe the film does an exceptional job at capturing that feeling of this important time in a teenager’s life.

Not unlike the Tom Hanks’ directed THAT THING YOU DO, no matter if you like the film or not you, will be repeating the chorus of the songs over and over again long after the film has run its toll. Like I have mentioned previously the music of the film seems to take on life of it’s own. The film contains three Blue Hearts covers, performed by The Paran Maum, a band consisting of the four female leads, along with a score by former Smashing Pumpkins member James Iha. After a little bit of research I discovered that The Paran Maum, even released a single in both Korea and Japan, which I am sure sold quite well. James Iha’s score on the other hand is a perfect blend of mellowness and beauty and really gives the film a rather sublime atmosphere. A supporting role by actor Masahiro Komoto, brother of Blue Hearts lead singer Hiroto Komoto, as the teacher in charge of the talent show, gives the film a nice little touch and will sastify die hard fans of the band.

The filmmakers could have easily taken the easy route of making LINDA LINDA LINDA just another teen oriented film about kids struggling in high school but director Nobuhiro Yamashita instead makes it into something uniquely his own. You can honestly tell that Yamashita is a fan of the music and fully understands how a love for the medium can genuinely bring people together. Not unlike their US counterpart, The Ramones, The Blue Hearts created songs that stuck in your head forcing you to sing them again and again. That is the same effect this film had on me. This heart warming story of music, friendship, love and everything in between will stay with you long after its done.