“La La La at Rock Bottom” – 2015 Fantasia Film Review

Subaru Shibutani as Pochi man in “La La La at Rock Bottom.” (still courtesy of Misono Universe Film Partners)

Immediately upon release from prison, a young man is ambushed, beaten senseless and left for dead in “La La La at Rock Bottom” (aka “Misono Universe”), a wonderfully delightful new Japanese film by Nobuhiro Yamashita, the acclaimed director of “Linda Linda Linda.”  Surviving the beating, the man (Subaru Shibutani) awakens as a homeless person is attempting to strip him of his clothes. He rises from the gutter to cast the homeless man aside, but very soon realizes that, while much of his clothing is still intact, the ordeal has successfully stripped him of his identity.  Not knowing his own name, he stumbles into the middle of an outdoor concert, and – totally disoriented – grabs the microphone from the hands of the band’s singer and begins belting out a punkish a cappella anthem.

And with that, he’s in the band.  Will he and the band’s cute manager (Fumi Nikaido) grow sweet on one another?  Most likely.  Will his memory slowly return?  Of course it will…there’s no movie otherwise.  Will he decide to stay with the band after learning who he is, what he’s done, and why certain people might want him dead?  And more importantly, will he still be welcome once the truth is uncovered?  Perhaps.  What is certain is that you WILL want to stick with the film to the end to find out.

“La La La at Rock Bottom” makes its Canadian premiere at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival on July 24 at 7:45 p.m., and will screen again July 29 at 3:00 p.m.   The festival runs through August 4.  For ticket information go to fantasiafestival.com.