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Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Director: Michel Gondry

Time Out rating

Average user rating

87 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

French celluloid sorcerer Michel Gondry delivers his most playful, accessible and subtextually sparkling slice of bespoke whimsy to date in the follow-up to his stifling 2005 quirk mire, ‘The Science of Sleep’.

This time, he accompanies us on the Capra-esque journey of highly-strung VHS rental shop clerk, Mike (Mos Def) and his skittish, mildly unhinged mechanic buddy Jerry (Jack Black) as they are forced – via myriad helter-skelter plot machinations – to locate the journeyman director deep inside them and remake all the films in the store when they are inadvertently erased. In doing so, they manage to convert the present-day dead-end town of Passaic, New Jersey into a teeming, ramshackle film lot where customised (or ‘Sweded’) versions of ’80s popcorn classics such as ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ are rolled out at a dizzying rate and perform a roaring trade.

On paper, it sounds eccentric, but this is all part of Gondry’s vision. He presents us with a film whose simple structure could have tripped from the tongue of any vacuous pony-tailed studio exec (a community coming together to save a dilapidated video shop? It could only have come from the ’80s!).But Gondry uses this premise to flip open the ribcage of cinema and allow us to peruse its blood, bones and sinew, and really see how they flow, fit and flex into a glorious whole.

The magnitude of Gondry’s visual ingenuity is consistently jaw-dropping: with the aid of some washing machine innards and a white jump suit, he manages to reduce the iconic rotating space station scene from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ to a kind of cinematic primordial ooze, at once presenting the infinite potential of the camera to create, subvert and renew reality while also screaming, ‘Yes, you can do this too!’

Because this is a film in thrall to the fact that we have camera phones, YouTube and iMovie at our fingertips, and that there are people who go out there and make movies – just for the hell of it. But the joyful process of filmmaking is not its sole concern: there’s also a fondness for archaic technology (you could even read it as a clarion call to a generation weened on in-built obsolescence) to the point that CGI is rejected in favour of in-camera effects which lend the film a ragged visual energy comparable to the ’80s classics to which it pays homage.

In the end, though, it’s this total respect for its ironic source material which has enabled Gondry to achieve his greatest coup. In a postmodern rendering of the archetypal ’80s schmaltz finale, the director picks at our heartstrings like a cigar-box banjo, assembling the entire town together to watch Mike and Jerry’s fictitious biopic of local jazz legend Fats Waller in what must be one of the most nakedly romantic salutes to the restorative power of cinema since the ‘montage of kisses’ scene from ‘Cinema Paradiso’. It’s an awesomely simple and powerful moment, echoed by an earlier declamation from Mia Farrow’s doddery Mrs Falewicz as she enjoys one of Mike and Jerry’s remakes: ‘A toast to movies with heart and soul!’ Hear hear!

Author: David Jenkins 2008-02-18 17:02:47

Time Out London Issue 1957: Feb 20 to 26

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User reviews of this film

Robbie said...

Posted on Mar 04 2008 12:28 Worst film i have ever seen, save you £5

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Lisa K said...

Posted on Mar 04 2008 01:40 Enjoyed this film although it was not what it set itself out as in the trailers. Yes, it was about two odd men making their own versions of classic films but there were so many subplots to it too, which never went anywhere; the relationship between Mike and the videoshop owner; why is Jerry 'mad' (and why doesn't he just move his rv?)
The 'save the videoshop' stroryline doesn't really go anywhere as all of the fight goes out of the main charatcers by the end. Was very disappointed with Jack Black, he did all the goofing around that we've come to expect of him but he gave us barely any insight as to who 'Jerry' really was. Mos Def gave a good believable , performance.
All in all, a little confused with the messages perhaps but a heart warmer nonetheless. Don't take the kids to it though, mine although fairly appreciative for their ages, didn't enjoy it much as they didn't really understand what it was trying to convey. Not sure I did either...

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L.M said...

Posted on Mar 03 2008 17:10 The only time I laughed when watching this movie was on my realisation of how funny this film wasn't! . A total waste of time and money. Don't even bother getting out on DVD.

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paulv said...

Posted on Mar 03 2008 09:13 5/6 rating !? - complete waste of time and money for laughs. interesting but only worth watching on dvd

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Andras said...

Posted on Mar 02 2008 16:26 funny, good and entertaining

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Ozzy765! said...

Posted on Mar 02 2008 15:20 I wanna see it but it's got so many BAD reveiws!!
But everythin' else has dead low stars! I dunno weather
to watch another film! UGH! :)

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8-) said...

Posted on Mar 02 2008 08:25 Slow start, sentmental, occaisional laughs, grows a lttle, sometimes clever and leads to a predictable 'heartwarming' end. Kids didn't like it!

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Max Szabo said...

Posted on Mar 01 2008 17:06 Your review is great, Mr Jenkins; a review with heart and soul. Those to whom 'a review' means the equivalent of "this is a comedy and everybody has seen it" may be better served reading 'Heat '...

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FILM LOVERS said...

Posted on Mar 01 2008 16:27 I HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM BUT FROM READING THESE IREALLY REALLY DO NOT WAN TO GO AND SEE IT

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Ben said...

Posted on Mar 01 2008 15:16 1 of the funniest films seen in a while want to see it again.

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Josh said...

Posted on Feb 29 2008 22:31 I think this is the worst film i have ever seen. I am a jack black fan but he has totally let himself down in this film half the people watching it were falling asleep and half the people left half way through

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Rebecca said...

Posted on Feb 29 2008 20:10 Shall I shan't I
Don't know if I could
Even if I can make out
What Dave Jenkin's
On about

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John said...

Posted on Feb 29 2008 20:05 Our verbose reviewer for TO needs a style lesson from someone that knows how to write a decent review - e.g. Roger Ebert Chicago Sun Times. I just need to know what's the film about and is it worth seeing - not the abstract innards of a soul in torment.

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Steve said...

Posted on Feb 29 2008 17:56 Going to see it tonight but, OMG, the Time Out review was unbelievably bad. Trying to be too clever Dave Jenkins. Maybe you should write a book or something.

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the joker said...

Posted on Feb 29 2008 17:16 Could the time out review spout any more flowery rubbish? Not a dig at the film, but bloody hell man cut to the chase.

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