August 8th Log

LINDA LINDA LINDA
2006, Nobuhiro Yamashita, Japan
1st Viewing, DVD

I REALLY enjoyed this little film. I plan on watching it again later this month, so I will share more comments then. For now, I’ll just say it is a whole lot of fun and the always wonderful Bae Doo-na gives another fantastically simple yet complex performance as a Korean exchange student that agrees to join a Japanese high school rock band. The film grabs you from it’s opening moments and never lest go. I’ll be singing that title song in my head for awhile after this one!!! “Linda, Linda… Linda Linda Linddddaaaaa”



ARE WE DONE YET
2007, Steve Carr, United States
1st Viewing, DVD

Are We Done Yet’s script is loosely based off the 1948 comedy Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, a flawed film that survived on it’s star-quality charm (with three greats: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas). This film does not have the star-charisma of that film, nor the laughs, but the cast is likable enough to keep the film from being unwatchable. Problem is, the film had it’s success with the first film and now we get the common case of an overblown and pointless sequel. The film not only recycles what worked with it’s processor, but it seems to be recycling everything we’ve seen endless times in Hollywood family comedies (including an overuse of the “animal gone wild” jokes). Ice Cube is likable and can carry these films in a lovable cartoonish kind of way. This film is not all that bad really. If you like Are We There Yet? (which I did), you will probably enjoy most of this film. It lacks originality, but if your in the right mood and willing to accept the film for what it is, you may find yourself enjoying this family comedy.