Linda Linda Linda

All together now: "Linda Linda! Linda Linda Linda!!" So goes the immensely catchy (if somewhat redundant) chorus to the title song from Japanese director Nobuhiro Yamashita's delightful film about four girls who are rehearsing tunes by the Blue Hearts—a popular (and real) Japanese rock band—for a performance at their school's annual festival (or gakuen-sai). After a falling out between moody guitarist Kei (Yu Kashii) and singer Rinko (Takayo Mimura) that results in the latter quitting the band, the remaining members—Kei, drummer Kyoko (Aki Maeda), and bassist Nozomi (Shiori Sekine)—go looking for a replacement. Enter Son (Doona Bae), a Korean exchange student whose spirit is willing but whose Japanese ain't so hot. Although the natural recalcitrance of teenagers initially makes for a laconic film in which little is said for long stretches (what's subtitled as "yeah" or "sure" is often just a grunted "mmm"), the viewer gradually begins to care about these girls: we feel the stammered awkwardness of their interactions with boys (very little of their home life is revealed), as well as their growing confidence as the performance draws closer, and share in their triumph as the whole school gleefully sings "Linda Linda Linda!" along with them. Director Yamashita, not yet 30 when the movie debuted in 2005, displays a sure hand, and the film benefits from a solid score by Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha. Recommended. (S. Graham)