Be Kind Rewind

I had the fortune of not seeing much of the trailer footage for "Be Kind Rewind" as I saw the film based simply on having Michel Gondry listed as the director. Basic plot does revolve around a videotape rental store, and what happens after their entire videotape stock gets erased in shockingly good fashion, and the lengths the store employees go to provide similar movie entertainment per the videotape titles on their videotape boxes.

I was not prepared to laugh as hard as I have in many moons during the 1st half of the film, it's simply zany (in a good way), and just clicks because of the directorial choices made, and the actors' performances that bolster the script. Also, both Mos Def and Jack Black play off one another like true long time friends who put up with their idiosyncrasies, strengths and weaknesses. The second half of the film hits a lull here and there, but ends on a satisfying note, in light of the imminent rush of urban development that threatens the old time neighborhood feel of Passaic, New Jersey.

What's really enjoyable about this film is the undercurrent of sentimentality for the less complicated days of old, combined with a sense of community, and a love for film-making at its very basic and fundamental roots. If you love cinema, there's a bit of all genres on display to embrace and share a good laugh or two. All the while, the audience is primarily laughing along with the film, not at the film in a detrimental manner.

My audience generally laughed all at the right spots, one lady to my left almost rolled out onto the aisle from sheer laughter from the silly, but genuine humor on display. Overall, my audience really got into the spirit of the film, and enjoyed it quite a bit.

This is the kind of film that has "cult favorite" written all over it in years to come.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+