The first thing you have to know when seeing Michel Gondry’s films (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep) is that he was out sick the day they sent the junior high memo that growing up means losing your imagination.

And what an endlessly inventive imagination Gondry possesses. He inhabits a world that resembles ours but is a little less rational, a little more playful, with slightly brighter colors. Pretty much anything can happen in his films without surprising the characters. Essentially, he’s retained what we all had when we played princesses or pirates as children. In Eternal Sunshine, people’s memories are erased as a sort of reverse therapy for past loves and losses; in The Science of Sleep, dreams and whimsical fantasies and little handmade stuffed animals fuel a one-sided romance.

His latest (and far more light and cheery) film, Be Kind Rewind (rated PG-13 for some sexual references), sets the latest magical Gondry-land in Passaic, New Jersey – one of the little decaying towns a half hour’s drive in no traffic from New York City. Mike (Mos Def) works at Be Kind Rewind, a thrift/video rental store – of the old variety, no DVDs – owned by Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover), who’s on vacation. Jerry (Jack Black) is the mechanic living in a trailer across the intersection. When Jerry becomes magnetized and accidentally erases all the tapes in the store, they decide they’ve got to record their own versions of all the films, from Ghost Busters to 2001: A Space Odyssey to Rush Hour 2. As you might imagine, hilarity ensues.

Be Kind Rewind might be a little kooky for many moviegoers. Driving narrative isn’t Gondry’s strong suit, and the story is unashamedly gimmicky. But it’s funny and heartfelt, a tale of a community banding together around art, and for the camcorder generation – those of us who grew up making homemade movies in our backyards – it’s warmly nostalgic.

	Topic: Movies & TV, Reviews		Email a friend
	Keywords: Be Kind Rewind, Jack black, Michel Gondry, Mos Def		RSS 2.0
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