Swing Girls (2004) [Film Review]

Swing Girls; or, Strike That Beat!

     He said we gotta have swing. That hitting the same groove matters more than the notes.

Swing Girls is a comedy film from 2004 directed by Shinobu Yaguchi. After the enormous success of Waterboys (2001), Yaguchi set out to make a movie similar in tone, but this time featuring schoolgirls and music. Based on the real Tateshina High School Jazz Club, the result is a heart-warming comedy about the pursuit of one’s passion. I have been meaning to review this film for a long time but never got round to do it until now.

Release Info

Directed by: Shinobu Yaguchi Starring: Juri Ueno, Yuta Hiraoka, Shihori Kanjiya, Yuika Motokariya

Language: Japanese Original Title: スウィングガールズ Runtime: 105 min

 

Synopsis

It’s vacation time. Instead of enjoying summer, a group of inept girls is dying of boredom during their make-up class. Tomoko (Juri Ueno) and her friends persuade the math teacher, Mr Ozawa (Naoto Takenaka), to let them deliver the bento boxes for the brass band. However, the girls accidentally spoil the food en route and the band suffers from poisoning. Takuo (Yuta Hiraoka), the only brass band member who did not eat the lunch, forces Tomoko and the other girls into joining the band as substitutes. Due to their number, he turns the girls into a big band performing jazz. Consequently, they become “Swing Girls and a Boy”.

 

Swing, Swing, Swing!

In the style resembling that of Waterboys, Swing Girls focuses on a group of youngsters who engage into an unlikely activity. All of this, of course, is framed within Yaguchi’s favourite zero-to-hero story arc. Interestingly, rather than seeking out experienced young musicians, the director went with the traditional casting process and, later, put the actresses through the exhausting process of learning how to play instruments. Just take a look at Juri Ueno trying to hit that groove!

 

The movie certainly proved to be the challenging endeavour because each girl had to know her specific place in the band. What is more, they had to actually play like professional musicians on a stage. Considering the final effect, I personally think that Swing Girls easily beats other music comedies like, for example, The Blues Brothers (1980).

 

With regard to the actual storyline, I loved all the interactions between the girls. A clear progression was visible of them transforming from the newbies into the pros. There were also lots of funny moments which had me chuckle, especially done by Tomoko, the main heroine. It’s difficult to imagine that this was Juri Ueno's first motion picture she ever did, and what a breakthrough it was for her!

 

Speaking about performances, evidently, Juri Ueno is the best. However, there is a whole slew of supporting girls who later went on to become successful actresses as well, including Shihori Kanjiya, Yuika Motokariya, and Yukari Toyoshima. They had the best onscreen chemistry together. A wonderful addition was also Yuta Hiraoka as Takuo/”The Boy”. Naoto Takenaka broke the system as always with his performance of a clumsy mentor. There are also some great cameos by Fumiyo Kohinata, Eriko Watanabe, Naomi Nishida, and Kei Tani.

 

Swing Girls became such a huge hit in Japan that the movie spawned a few media events, including the so-called Swing Girls: First and Last Concert (2005). Unfortunately, the girls never formed an official band, but they sure stirred the domestic market in the early 2000s. Interestingly, the movie’s official site is still operational, 15 years after the film’s release.

 

Recommendations

Swing Girls is another great comedy from Shinobu Yaguchi. If you like his films, such as Waterboys or Wood Job! (2014), then Swing Girls is the film for you. It has happy-go-lucky vibes, great cinematography, and some catchy jazz beats (even though I’m not a fan of jazz). Check it out if you can because this film deserves it.

Overall score: 9/10