TIFF Report: Linda Linda Linda Review

Trouble strikes a teen-girl band on the eve of their performance at their school's festival. Their lead guitarist has broken her finger and the lead singer has walked away from the band. The remaining band members, Kei, Kyoko and Nozomi, unwilling to call it quits, search for a new lead singer and form up their band with three days to go before the concert. In a chance encounter they choose a Korean exchange student, Son, to be their vocalist. Oh, just a couple things to note, Son has never performed in a band and speaks little to no Japanese. With three days to practice and learn their line-up, including the insanely catchy Linda Linda Linda by Japanese punk icons The Blue Hearts, where the film gets its title, can the girls come together and pull off the performance of their lives?

Balancing on the simple direction by Nobuhiro Yamashita and soundtrack by Smashing Pumpkin alumnus, James Iha, Linda Linda Linda is a fantastic teenage tale of friendship, love and music. Both give the movie a simplistic feel. Yamashita's direction doesn't depend on flashy cuts and zooms. His framing is tight, his shooting is static and rarely does the camera move. Iha provides a soundtrack that is also simple in its approach and delivery, giving simple chords of post-punk regalia only when absolutely necessary and helpful to convey mood and tone.

The bulk of the comedic moments are thanks in part to Son and the language barrier between her, the girls, other students and friends. Bae Doona masterfully navigates her way through those scenes and delivers comedic punches in such a subtle way. Doona owns every scene she is in.

Yamashita does not get caught up in sub-plots or back stories. The script does hint and incidents in the past that have led us to the point where we join the girls. Teenage crushes, thought not prominent in the film, are hinted at briefly as a source of the troubles where we find the girls and aid in the comedic elements of the film later on. The exchange between Son and a male student who has learned some Korean to convey his feelings to her is painfully funny.

But overall Yamashita's focus is on the band and the music. And because nothing else gets in the way and hinders the flow of the storyline the film is a cohesive whole that is entertaining and heart-warming movie from beginning to end.