Be Kind, Rewind

Review by Adam Frazier

While Be Kind Rewind may not be as abstract and quirky as Michel Gondry’s previous works, which include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, it’s still a little comedy with a huge heart that more than makes up for its lack of weirdness and laughs.

The premise is a fairly simple yarn with an odd, mystical twist. An antique video store in Passaic, New Jersey is in danger of being demolished. With no options left, storeowner Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) makes a pilgrimage to find out how to save it, leaving his assistant Mike (Mos Def) in charge of the store.

Besides managing a deserted video store, Mike’s only other responsibility is to keep his bizarre friend Jerry out of the shop, as he has a tendency to screw things ups. Played by Jack Black, Jerry is a local conspiracy theorist who proceeds to get himself magnetized and erase every video tape in the store after trying to break into a power plant, as it is supposedly transmitting microwaves to control people’s minds.

To keep the business open and avoid suspicion from the town, Mike and Jerry, along with local dry cleaner Alma (the beautiful Melonie Diaz), proceed to recreate all of the movies themselves hoping that Miss Falewicz (Mia Farrow), who Fletcher has spying on them, won't suspect how badly they've screwed things up.

The ‘sweded’ films, as Mike and Jerry call them, are works of art all on their own. Through the course of the film the two must recreate pop cultural touchstones such as Ghostbusters, Robocop, The Lion King, King Kong and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

One might worry that Gondry’s use of the same joke over and over again, that two klutzes with a video camera can somehow make these movies using minimal actors, sets and effects, could get old quick. What is surprising about the continued usage of this gag is the amount of heart and nostalgia that is packed into each bout of filmmaking.

For two films in particular, Ghostbusters and Robocop, Gondry’s film touched something inside this hardened reviewer – a memory etched in time of why I love movies and how I remember them. Be Kind Rewind points to that unmistakable fun and unconditional love for the films you grew up with, and I must say that I was moved by his own way of honoring them.

While it isn’t a strong comedy littered with cough-inducing laughs, Be Kind Rewind has enough randomness and Jack Black shtick to keep the mainstream happy, while the peculiar nature of Gondry still gives the film a chic, independent feel.

The acting is decent, but if you’re expecting Jack Black to come out from his, while hilarious, one-sided box – think again. There are more funny faces and hand motions than School of Rock can shake a stick at.

All in all Be Kind Rewind is a lovely little comedy about filmmaking and how art can inspire and transform communities and individuals. It’s not as zany and full of laughter as I might have expected, but it’s certainly worth your consideration.

3.5 out of 5

Be Kind, Rewind
Australian release: 20th March, 2008
Cast: Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover
Director: Michel Gondry