BE KIND REWIND

"You're magnetised!"

As developers push for Mr Fletcher (Glover) to close his store, Mike (Def) is left in charge while the elderly owner leaves town to visit his hero, Fats Waller's memorial. Everything is going fine until his conspiracy-fuelled friend Jerry (Black) becomes magnetised during his latest attempt to sabotage the power company, who he believes is scrabbling his mind. But when Jerry walks into the video store his newly acquired magnetism erases all the tapes. Knowing that this will definitely finish the store, Mike becomes desperate and agrees to Mike's crazy idea of remaking the films that Jerry erased themselves.

Director Michel Gondry made a real splash with 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' but can his follow up show that he is the talent he has been labelled with?

Many a great director has graduated from producing adverts and music videos to making feature films, Spike Jonze, David Fincher and Ridley Scott to name but three and with 'Be Kind Rewind' Michel Gondry is starting to join them. While 'Human Nature' was classed as a failure, his screen version of Charlie Kaufman's most accessible screenplay made 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' a critical and commercial hit and he followed that with the equally quirky 'Science of Sleep' and 'Be Kind Rewind' follows that trend.

The story of two friends from Passaic, New Jersey who become stars after remaking Hollywood hits like 'Ghostbusters', 'Rush Hour 2', '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'King Kong' and 'Driving Miss Daisy' on their VHS camcorder and with a running time of twenty minutes is one that will make you laugh, smile and leave you with warm feeling in your heart. As Jerry and Mike remake the movies in their own unique style, you cannot help but enjoy every moment of homage. This does slightly distract from the story of saving the store but it does this to complement the main story of re-igniting community spirit and this is what makes the film so likeable.

With a story like this you need a good cast to bring it to life and 'Be Kind Rewind' has just that. Leading the line are Jack Black and Mos Def as Jerry and Mike. Jerry might will be a little too similar to what we are used to seeing Jack Black play, a mixture of Barry from 'High Fidelity' and JB, his rock star persona from 'Tenacious D', but he makes Jerry instantly appealing and likeable. The same can be said for Mos Def's Mike. This is a character who is instantly likeable and one that shows again that the actor has a real charm and talent for creating these types of characters. The supporting cast is also very good. Danny Glover makes the move to light comedy with ease, making Mr Fletcher both respectable and the man who business you would want to save. Mia Farrow brings a little piece of class to the proceedings as Miss Falewicz, Mr Fletcher's friend and the woman who is meant to keep an eye on the boys and the store while he is away and Melonie Diaz continues to make a real impression on Hollywood as Alma, the female star of Mike and Jerry's movies.

'Be Kind Rewind' is a movie with heart. This is one of those feel good movies that will stay with you long after the credits roll. While the quirkiness of the piece might not appeal to everyone, fans of Michel Gondry, anyone who loves a heart-warming story and film fans in general will adore this. One thing is certain however, you will want to want to watch the full versions of Mike and Jerry's movies.

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

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2008