Be Kind Rewind
As previously established Michel Gondry is an odd fellow. His previous films Eternal Sunshine and the Science of Sleep have impressed me greatly (I haven’t seen Human Nature, which by all accounts is how it should be) and the premise for Be Kind Rewind intrigued me as well. In fact its refreshingly bonkers, the kind of surreal and idealistic idea you might pitch one day thinking it was funny, turning that into a fully fledged film however is another matter. By now I’m sure you know the premise, small time video shop on the brink of closure accidentally has all its videos erased, leaving the hapless Mod Def and Jack Black to re-create the films using their home video camera.
Naturally the making of these videos are the highlights of the film, Gondry’s low budget sensibilities and creativity are in full swing and he constantly manages to find hilarious ways to spoof and lovingly homage some classic and not so classic films. What is great about the film on the whole is its earnest goodness. There is barely a bad bone to be found in the film and its good natured humour is unlikely to produce full on laughs, but you will smile throughout. The story is oddly mixed, the back story of a jazz musician by the name of Fats Waller is tied up with the store and its owner, played with a sweet levity by Danny Glover. Whilst these threads of the plot seem disconnected at the start they are weaved in well to the video shenanigans to set up the films touching finale. In fact as much as the film is about creativity and expressing yourself, it is also about community and town spirit and the scenes of neighbourhood people getting involved in the films and helping out are moving, and bring back a lot of personal memories of my teenage years running around with a video camera and the bond that provides between friends.
Mos Def continues to impress after his turn in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, his earnest pained expressions are endearing and he has great comic timing, Jack Black is fairly unrestrained in the film and whilst his character easily comes across as obnoxious and annoying, he has just the right amount of empathy to traverse this and his manic energy is certainly infectious.
With all that said the film does have its flaws, the story is thin and the impending sense of doom over the fate of the shop never carries much weight. Outside the main characters as well there aren’t many memorable faces, Gondry keeps our investment at a distance, the entertaining humour at times masks the films lack of depth. But that is not what this film is about, as an ode to imagination and community spirit Be Kind Rewind is a success and one destined to warm your heart and put a smile on your face.
Another creative explosion from Gondry this is perhaps his slightest film yet, but his inventiveness and heartfelt message, along with some good performances, pull it through in the end.
As previously established Michel Gondry is an odd fellow. His previous films Eternal Sunshine and the Science of Sleep have impressed me greatly (I haven’t seen Human Nature, which by all accounts is how it should be) and the premise for Be Kind Rewind intrigued me as well. In fact its refreshingly bonkers, the kind of surreal and idealistic idea you might pitch one day thinking it was funny, turning that into a fully fledged film however is another matter. By now I’m sure you know the premise, small time video shop on the brink of closure accidentally has all its videos erased, leaving the hapless Mod Def and Jack Black to re-create the films using their home video camera.
Naturally the making of these videos are the highlights of the film, Gondry’s low budget sensibilities and creativity are in full swing and he constantly manages to find hilarious ways to spoof and lovingly homage some classic and not so classic films. What is great about the film on the whole is its earnest goodness. There is barely a bad bone to be found in the film and its good natured humour is unlikely to produce full on laughs, but you will smile throughout. The story is oddly mixed, the back story of a jazz musician by the name of Fats Waller is tied up with the store and its owner, played with a sweet levity by Danny Glover. Whilst these threads of the plot seem disconnected at the start they are weaved in well to the video shenanigans to set up the films touching finale. In fact as much as the film is about creativity and expressing yourself, it is also about community and town spirit and the scenes of neighbourhood people getting involved in the films and helping out are moving, and bring back a lot of personal memories of my teenage years running around with a video camera and the bond that provides between friends.
Mos Def continues to impress after his turn in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, his earnest pained expressions are endearing and he has great comic timing, Jack Black is fairly unrestrained in the film and whilst his character easily comes across as obnoxious and annoying, he has just the right amount of empathy to traverse this and his manic energy is certainly infectious.
With all that said the film does have its flaws, the story is thin and the impending sense of doom over the fate of the shop never carries much weight. Outside the main characters as well there aren’t many memorable faces, Gondry keeps our investment at a distance, the entertaining humour at times masks the films lack of depth. But that is not what this film is about, as an ode to imagination and community spirit Be Kind Rewind is a success and one destined to warm your heart and put a smile on your face.
Another creative explosion from Gondry this is perhaps his slightest film yet, but his inventiveness and heartfelt message, along with some good performances, pull it through in the end. 
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