| Written by Spanner, on 29-05-2008 14:50 |
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| Average user rating |
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Be Kind Rewind
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Director:
Writer:
Cast:
Genre
Release Date:
Rating:
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Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Mos Def, Jack Black, Danny Glover
Comedy
30th June 2008
12
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Synopsis
A small VHS only video store faces foreclosure in a poor community.
While watching the store for the owner, a blundering employee's friend
accidentally erases all of the tapes. In order to keep their blunder
from becoming apparent, the duo of Mos Def and Jack Black begin
remaking the films themselves using homemade special effects and
outdated filming techniques.
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Review:
Be Kind Rewind is something of an oddity. Riddled with the kind of genre
schizophrenia that normally digs a shallow grave for a film, it still manages
to seduce the audience with more than its share of heartfelt charm.
.jpg "bekindrewind_screen (2).jpg")
Honestly? I'd love to watch some of Mos and Jack's Sweded movies.
Perhaps this is because the bulk of the movie if genuinely entertaining;
only struggling for an identity during the first act and in a lack of any
lasting resolution. Many such films start well, then burn celluloid scratching
in the dirt of the opening premise for a purpose. Here we see a weak and
nebulous setup - that has nothing to do with the meat of the movie other than a
feeble reason for wiping the contents of an entire rental shop's video tapes -
followed by a good hour and more of thoroughly entertaining, purposeful antics.
The homemade movie aspects of the trailer are present in their
wonderfully amateurish entirety, so anyone sold on those comedic exploits (and
who wasn't?) will be well fed come the rather empty ending. While the final
scenes of the duo's last homemade film are a triumph, they don't provide the
satisfactory resolution the writer/director presumably intended.
Despite the flimsy and unsuitably slapstick method by which the
dilapidated VHS video store loses its stock doesn't really impact the mirthful
ways in which the temporary shop keeper (Mos Def) and his eccentric and
unwitting, magnetic saboteur of a friend (Jack Black) restock the shelves. Many
of the inherent and obvious flaws used to aggressively push the plot forwards
are easily forgiven when those events unfold.
.jpg "bekindrewind_screen (7).jpg")
After Hitchhiker's, we weren't too sure about Mos Def, but confidence is restored after this movie.
While everyone involved performs beautifully, from cast to crew, the
real stars of Be Kind Rewind are the prop makers, who clearly had the time of
their lives combining The Great Egg Race with a box office budget. The ingenuity
of their efforts in mimicking Hollywood's biggest titles using household flotsam
and jetsam is key to the film's delight. The inspiring quality of these
sub-micro budget recreations make the film worth seeing all on their own, and
the considerable number of faults are quickly forgiven and forgotten when you
see the incredible RoboCop suit and Ghostbusters special effects.
The DVD has a few features that expand on the film's strongest points;
offering the full version of the main character's crowing filmic achievement as
well as a bit of typical Jack Black ego massage (that's actually a guilty
amusement, if you can suffer his self-obsession for longer than two minutes).
Ultimately, Be Kind Rewind makes itself an escapist success through the
lighthearted ingenuity of its second act. Anyone looking for a well spent
Saturday night in will be well rewarded by the homemade movie cameos of Be Kind
rewind.
Editor's comment
| 8/10 |
Be Kind Rewind Review
Radiating a comic warmth that belies the weak setup, Be Kind Rewind is a quiet, background classic. |
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