The New Gondry's!

Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film directed, written by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black,Mos Def, the American rapper, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow. The title is a reference to a phrase commonly displayed on VHS rental tapes during the medium's era. Jack Black and Mos Def play two guys who run a tiny video rental store and, when all their vhs tapes accidentally get ruined after being exposed to magnetism, the boys attempt to recreate some of our favorite classic films (Ghostbusters,Rush hour 2, Robocop, Back to the Future, etc ...) in order to keep the store's one loyal customer happy.

Much like The Science of Sleep (2006), Be Kind Rewind takes place in a universe full of childlike charm and hand-made wonders, like cardboard television, or surrealistic cars evocative of the imagery of the successful Mighty Boosh, a British comedy television series and live show about two friends who go on a series of magical adventures playing now on BBC3.

Be Kind Rewind is all about nostalgia. In an interview, Jack Black is sharing his taste for the “good old things”, “ The vinyl records sound better than CDs whereas video tape cassettes don’t look that different from DVDs, certainly not better than Blu-Ray. I’m an HD snob now. I can’t watch anything unless it’s HD”.

The movie looks typically like the 80’s era, from the outfits of the characters to the soundtracks of all the movies they are re-shooting as Ghostbusters, with a comedy timing, referring of those old Laurel & Hardy shorts.

It’s about the togetherness of a shared experience. Whether you are talking about a movie theatre or some other function, it is the idea of a group of people experiencing joy and happiness.

Despite the fact that Be Kind Rewind is a bit more commercial than Gondry’s previous films, Be Kind To Rewind confirms that Gondry's own films are more like dreams than movies; full of imaginative visions, fun while they're happening, easily punctured by reality, and as pleasant as they are impermanent.

Published in www.deadfoxfanzine.com