Director: Josef Kubota Wladyka
Writers: Josef Kubota Wladyka, Nicholas Huynh
Stars: Rinko Kikuchi, Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Edda, You, Yoh Yoshida
Synopsis: Haru and Luis love competing in Tokyo’s ballroom dance scene, but after tragedy strikes, Haru withdraws into isolation. When friends coax her back to the studio, she develops an infatuation with the new instructor.
When you name your film Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, you have a built-in excuse to keep things charming and light. While director Josef Kubota Wladyka does infuse that lightness, the film also tries a bit too much narratively, despite the charm.
Rinko Kikuchi stars as Haru, a woman living in Tokyo with her Mexican husband, Luis (Alejandro Edda). Their comfortable routine includes their mutual devotion to ballroom dance. During a competition, Luis dies of a heart attack. Haru is devastated by the loss, and further lost by Luis’ father’s insistence of a burial in Mexico. Feeling as though his soul is adrift because of this split, Haru shuts off from her life and friends.
Haru’s friends Hiromi (You), and Yuki (Yoh Yoshida) are able to coax her back into the dance scene. New instructor Fedir (Alberto Guerra) reawakens Haru’s passion for dance and for romance. Despite the attraction, Haru can’t get Luis’ spirit away from her while Fedir’s own relationship baggage begins to impede on the couple’s passion.
The film does try to keep things as light as possible, despite dealing with some pretty deep and heavy ideas. Haru and Luis have built this life of understanding and mutual appreciation. As soon as Luis dies, Haru’s agency is taken away due to the cultural expectations of his family. The film also deals directly with the dangers of open relationships, without ever actually having anything to say about them.
Most of what the film wants to do, it is incapable of reaching. Haru begins to obsess over her relationship with Luis, but a more sinister turn comes out of left field. The audience is forced to attempt to connect the dots with Haru’s mental capacity because she is such an insular character. She is not one of outgoing personality and explanation, so you have to just accept her actions without much context. Despite the film focusing almost solely on Haru and her desires, you leave the film knowing just as much about her when the film ended. She is not a character of understanding.
That’s not to fault Kikuchi, who does everything she can with an underwritten role. She is forced to make Haru as likeable as possible, despite the film doing nothing to make her worth watching. She is too reserved and shielded by her grief to ever come across as dynamic. Kikuchi does her absolute best despite the narrative holding her back. Guerra gets much more to work with. The actor gets to be a sexy and mysterious stranger, but is quickly developed into a well-rounded character.
You and Yoshida are a nice compliment to Haru’s coldness, especially You, giving her character a youthful energy with an unapologetic worldview. Yoshida is the more pragmatic of the two, hoping to get Haru to a healthier place in life. Edda lingers heavily over the film, but his gentle presence lifts the proceedings any time he appears. Karen Louis also makes an impression in a tough role in the film’s last third.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! might be an easy watch, but the film doesn’t really know what to do with its main character, and never develops its weighty themes beyond the easy charm.
