In a way, I wish I hadn't signed on to review Be Kind Rewind. Not because it provoked me to throw popcorn at the screen in disgust or because my editors are breathing down my neck about the timeliness of this article. It's because I'm nervous.
I'm nervous that my commentary isn't going to do the movie justice. I'm nervous that nothing I write will convey what I felt when watching Jack Black and Mos Def recreate Ghostbusters with a camcorder and homemade props and I'm nervous that the meaning of the verb "to swede" will be lost in translation on its journey from the big screen to the columns of the Cav Daily. I'm nervous that the tired adjectives we movie critics so often employ are never going to illustrate the offbeat chemistry that the movie's cast shared, and I'm nervous that people won't appreciate the innovative humor trademark of Michel Gondry, who also helmed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I'm also nervous about my upcoming Intro to Media Studies midterm, in case anyone was wondering.
For those of you thinking, "Maybe this smart-ass should have been studying for that very exam instead of going to the movies," you haven't seen Be Kind Rewind. As I settled into my cushy seat on the left side of the theater with a couple pieces of Christian's pizza in a to-go box, I soaked in the knowledge that the payoff for not studying would be far greater than if I had decided to stay back at dorms with my nose in a book. But just now, as I reflect on the opening scenes of the film, the problem I face when trying to tackle this movie review is flaring up again like a bad rash-- there are no words to describe the one-of-a-kind plot this movie has.
Be Kind Rewind is about an eccentric named Jerry (Jack Black) whose brain becomes magnetized and in turn erases all the movies in his friend Mike's (Mos Def) video store. But to satisfy loyal customers, the duo starts on the impossible task of re-creating the movies that were lost. Unexpectedly, these customers are impressed by the duo's efforts and want to see more. Thus, the store begins taking remake requests, and the cash comes flowing in. However, the beginning of Be Kind Rewind regales the viewer with facts about a 20th-century jazz musician named Fats Waller. In fact, this Fats character is at the center of the entire flick. How the hell do you explain that?
You don't. Or at least I'm not going to. Hopefully curiosity will get the better of you and you'll flag down a taxi and tell the driver to get his ass to the Downtown Mall, and fast. I won't leave you completely in the dark, though. What about those people called actors? Jack Black, God bless his soul, brings all of his versatile skills to the table -- er, the rental store counter -- for his hilarious turn as Jerry. Mos Def's low-key (yet still funny) turn as Mike serves as the perfect foil to Black's role as an over-the-top nutjob. Danny Glover and Mia Farrow are in supporting roles, and Sigourney Weaver and Paul Dinello make cameos. You can't ask for a more diverse, better balanced cast.
Yet while the list of featured players is impressive enough, my favorite part of Be Kind Rewind is the insanity. The movie fakes reality and also asks you to suspend it. Again, very typical of a Gondry film. There are a couple sane characters, such as the movie exec who shuts down the piracy business, or the new apartment complex developer who wants to tear down the decrepit video store building. However, these characters represent the most depressing facets of reality. They take the fun out of the dysfunctional.
So that's all for this week. I've done my best to convince you to see this incredible movie, and if you decide not to, then it's your loss. Got to run to my Media Studies discussion, though -- the depressing reality of midterms beckons.3
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