Be Kind Rewind



Starring Jack Black, Mos Def and Danny Glover



Directed by Michel Gondry



Be Kind Rewind, written and directed by Oscar-winning director, Michel Gondry is just the third major film release by the kooky Frenchman who's long associated as the longtime director of countless wacky Bjork videos. Rewind is slightly different from Gondry's first two features. While Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and Science of Sleep dealt more with the romantic relationship of two, Rewind expands its reach to a greater level.



Mos Def and Jack Black plays a pair of best friends, Mike and Jerry. Mike works for Mr Fletcher (Danny Glover) at his video store located in a building under great disrepair. Jerry convinces Mike to sabotage the power plant as he's convinced that their minds are adversely affected by it. A mishap happens and Jerry becomes magnetised. As Mr Fletcher leaves to prepare for an overhaul of his old video store (which he has lied to Mike about it being the birth place of a legendary jazz singer) in order to save it. The magentised Jerry causes all the video tapes to be erased. Hence, in a bid to save the business, the duo sets out to recreate all the videos by 'swedeing' them - re-shooting their own versions, only to be embraced with unexpected popularity from the townsfolk.



While such a storyline easily borders on irrelevance and slapstick, the charm lies in Gondry's master. The way Mike and Jerry remakes the movies including the final production shows basic but great movie-making. The cast is excellent as the comedic chemistry of Jack Black and Mos Def is perfect. The supporting cast of Danny Glover, Mia Farrow and even Sigourney Weaver (in a cameo) lends extra sweetness to the movie.



Be Kind Rewind is not just all laughs but it is about relationship, humility, irony and sarcasm and Gondry succeeds without being cloyingly sentimental. (A)