BE KIND REWIND (2008)

Written & Directed By: Michel Gondry
Cinematography By: Ellen Kuras
Editor: Jeff Buchanan
Production Designer: Dan Leigh
Art Direction: James Donahue

Cast: Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Paul Dinello, Sigourney Weaver, Arjay Smith, Marcus Carl Franklin


By all means this is not a great movie it's not even really that good far fetched and wildly plotted and acted it seems more like a high concept idea from the 80's or 90's the thing this movie does have is ingenuity and imagination and a certain charm in spite of itself and that goes a long way I feel that this movie has a lot of heart and openness a sense of wonder that makes it both sweet and unfortunate that it could not be better. I realize a lot of youwill probably not agree with my review but that's why it is mine

It sends a message on two fronts a showcase for the old school wonder of eclectic communities and the on going dismantling of them by gentrification. That are supposed to bring together but really in there lust of money and commerce are more heartless then anything and alienates the have from the have not's setting up tow separate and not equal cultures. How business seems to weed out and pick on the little guy to destroy them for no real reason that they are in the way. A parody of the on-going big money blockbusters and how to somehow simplify The ingenuity of creating art and how simple things can make beautiful things. The way film can bring different characters together for a common goal and spellbind them put them in a trance.

Now does it really say all this probably not I'm just reading what I wish or hope it could mean. It touches on some of these ideas and I wish it could have been the movie that says all that with some laughs but it's not

This film is on it's own wavelength at times I really started to wonder if the two main characters were slow and/or really that doofy but as the movie moves along I realize they are just idealistic naive dreamers who don't exactly know what the dream they want is but they strive for it in some kind of way a artist who never knew he had a artistic inclination in him a screw-up who wants to leave but finds he actually has a purpose and is good at something I'm probably giving this movie more respect then it deserves but it put a spell on me

The movie is meant to be a comedy but it seems like there are no jokes the few it does throw out just lay there or feel they were written by a dramatist trying to be funny.

Jack black seems like this was his year of transition while he tries to find himself his dramatic character in margot at the wedding his romantic lead in the holiday now here he seems to be trying to be goofy while inhabiting a real character it almost works but falls apart often mos def gives a low energy performance but at least has some substantial interest in his character

I am a admirer of director michel gondry and I believe his heart is in the right place but this comes off as a studio budgeted experiment for him more then a actual film which is fine. Your enjoyment depends on how experimental you like your films

The sweded films are not genius but inventive like wildly plotted youtube movies of the originals but this was written when that phenomena was just taking off

The 80's feel is evident when this store still only provides vhs instead of dvd's as the stylistic choices of fashion and ideals. The video-thrift store. The auto-shop with only one mechanic. I also love how the video store is filled with only new line cinema movies considering they are also the studio behind the movie why not have the upper hand right?

Think of it as a dingy thrift store fable.

Grade: B-