Linda Linda Linda: movie review

4.5 stars out of 5

The sign of an inexperienced Chinese food diner is to paint Chinese cuisine with one big brush. It’s all spicy. Or all too salty. The diner who’s one level more advanced finds that he can split Chinese food into two very large categories: light (清淡) or heavy (重口味). Cantonese dishes are described as light because many aim to showcase the original flavor of the ingredients. There’s a Cantonese saying that goes: 鸡有鸡味, 鱼有鱼味 (chicken has its own flavor, fish has its own flavor). Spices play a supporting role while the meat’s original flavor is the star of the show. On the other hand, Hunan dishes are heavy. They’re drowning in oil and carpet bombed with salt and garlic cloves.¹This is yet another generalization, but a more accurate one.

There are movies where everything happens and movies where nothing happens.²See: “there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen”. Heavy movies and light movies. Shawshank Redemption, Interstellar, and The Great Beauty. I had thought I could only thoroughly enjoy these heavy movies. Featuring physical journeys that span time and galaxies. Alongside personal journeys of deep sorrow to unbridled joy.

Linda Linda Linda is a light movie. Four students with three days of band practice before their school’s festival where they play two songs. Long takes stretch out to capture nothing, except life. We laugh at glimpses of a past relationship. Cringe at a confession of love to a clueless classmate. And ignore trivial high school drama between friends.

It still manages to draw out comfortable laughter and build warm fuzzy moments. Although I watched the restored version in 4K, and despite the many differences between the plot and my own high school experience, it nonetheless stirred up the faded memories of my own high school.

When the gig finally arrives and the band belts out Linda Linda Linda, I find myself smiling and nodding to the beat. Something out of nothing.

Typos? Comments? Text or email me.

I watched this at the Asian Film Archive. Reposted on my Letterboxd.

2-minute read. Writing time: untracked. Editing time: untracked.

Footnotes

• 1
  This is yet another generalization, but a more accurate one.
• 2
  See: “there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen”.