Rating: 5/5
There are two types of people in the world: those who swing and those who don't.
It’s summer break for most kids, except for those languishing in summer make-up courses. In a math class, a group of girls sit in the back, doing their makeup and nails. The school brass band packs up in a bus to play at a baseball game. The music teacher, Yayoi Itami, not-so-secretly wishes their team would lose so she can head to Hawaii with some friends. Tomoko, a math student, notices that the bus leaves before the van with their lunches arrives. She and the other girls persuade their math teacher, Mr. Ozawa, to let them deliver the lunches.
On the train, Tomoko sneaks one of the bento boxes, and the other girls join in. Soon, they fall asleep and miss their stop. So, they get off at the next one and walk to the game, complaining the whole way. Meanwhile, at the baseball game, Takuo is hungry and exhausted, dropping his cymbals. By the time the girls arrive, the heat has spoiled the meals. And with one missing, Takuo must grab something from the stadium concessions. Lucky him because everyone else in the band and Itami became sick and are hospitalized.
Takuo was planning on quitting the band, but being the only member left, he holds an audition for replacements. A shy girl named Kaori shows up, who can play the recorder—additionally, two punk girls with their electric guitar and bass. Desperate, Takuo confronts the girls who delivered the lunches to persuade them to join the band. He knows they ate one of the lunches and were fine, so the lunches going bad was their fault. So, the girls receive school instruments, but they have no experience or motivation (except for Kaori). Also, there are only 17 of them, unable to fill out the full 42-member brass band.
In a moment of panic, Takuo decides to convert them into a big band jazz orchestra. Are these girls hopeless, or can they pull it together and help lead the baseball team to victory?
I chose to watch this movie because I needed some joy in my life, and I had heard nothing but positive things about it. And it was such a delight! Its playful comedic energy feels effortless, and the performances are just broad enough to transcend any cultural borders. The cinematography features numerous comedic compositions that never feel showy or forced. And watching the girls fall in love with making music just makes my heart swell.
In addition to the school experience, we also spend time with Tomoko’s family, seeing how her lack of motivation extends to helping her family around the house. When she finally gets motivated to learn tenor sax, her mom doesn’t believe her, pointing to all the things she abandoned. Tomoko’s sister, Aki, playing Space Channel 5, gave me a wave of mid-00s nostalgia! The fashion, too!
Don’t let the premise fool you — the movie goes to so many places and explores so many set pieces. The boar scene is so creative and fun! I giggled when they discovered all the things in the world that swing. The actors all learned their instruments for the movie, preparing months in advance! So we watch them perform live with no dubs, and it’s so satisfying!
Many movies attempt to portray misfit kids being reformed through [insert school activity]. This movie transcends the tropes and finds a refreshing way to tell its story. No movie has gotten more jokes out of “Take the ‘A’ Train.” You’ll see some dumb as fuck film bros say this “isn’t cinema.” Just because it doesn’t make you want to kill yourself doesn’t mean it isn’t art (apologies for the triple negative).
My heart is so full!
** Actor Talk **
- Juri Ueno, who plays Tomoko, is so funny! She’s channeling the classic Hollywood funny women.
- I knew I recognized Naoto Takenaka! He was in Tokyo Fist.
- Yuta Hiraoka is an adorable nerd. Is he gay for Inoue, the baseball player?!
- Yuika Motokariya made me tear up! She loves the trombone so much :cry:
- Shihori Kanjiya and the mouse… that is all.