Be Kind Rewind

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[4.0
stars] [IMDb Link]

I haven't been a big Michael Gondry fan in the past, not being swept up in the near-universal accolades for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But Gondry wrote and directed this movie, a screwball comedy with fantasy elements, and it really worked for me.

Jack Black and Mos Def play buddies Jerry and Mike, respectively. Mike works for Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) in the local VHS-only video rental store in lovely Passaic, New Jersey; its alleged claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of Fats Waller. Jerry is delusional and paranoid, but in a nice way. Through an unlikely misadventure in the local power plant, he erases all the tapes in Mr. Fletcher's store. Even less likely, he persuades Mike and others to remake their own versions of the destroyed movies as substitutes, substituting their enthusiasm for talent, accuracy, and production values.

Mia Farrow has a small role as sweet and daffy Miss Falewicz, who starts out the whole enterprise by demanding to rent Ghostbusters. There's also a wonderful cameo from an actress who just happens to have been in one of the movies Jerry and Mike remake.


Last Modified 2024-02-01 5:28 AM EDT