What with the use of toy planes, plastic dolls, cardboard cities and pizza-splatter brains, shooting a movie never seemed so blithe.
French Academy Award-winning writer/director Michel Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) brings his arts and craftiness to his new comedy “Be Kind Rewind.” In true Gondry-esque fashion, we’re driven through a bizarre world that blends the fantastical with the real, following the lives of an offbeat duo: video-store employee Mike (Mos Def) and his best friend, Jerry (Jack Black), through the dumpy town of Passaic, N.J.
When junkyard simpleton Jerry’s brain magnetizes in a daft attempt to destroy the local power plant, he accidentally erases all the tapes in Mr. Fletcher’s (Danny Glover) at-risk video thrift store. In an effort to save devoted clientele like elderly Miss Falewicz (Mia Farrow), the two unlikely heroes Mike and Jerry set about to remake condensed 20-minute versions of timeless favorites including “Ghost Busters,” “Rush Hour,” “RoboCop” and “The Lion King.”
Don’t expect to be blown away by any depth or acting in this movie. “Be Kind Rewind” is more of a good-humored comedy, entertaining in small doses of Gondry’s typical whimsy and old-school lingo like “true blue.” The melange of early black-and-white-inspired theatrical spoofs and music of jazz great Fats Waller provides some substance, charmingly contrasting the ’80s hip thrift-store nostalgia and small-town sentiment.
With an outdated RCA black camcorder and few materials to work with, Mike and Jerry optimistically shoot the new “sweded” (recreated from scratch) remakes, filming each other through Passaic with the help of the townspeople. At no less than a hefty $20 charge for the “sweding,” Mike and Jerry begin their amateur video adventure reminiscent of child’s play.
In a creative frenzy of chunky cardboard cutouts, tinfoil attire, negative photocopies, wooden spools and string, Mike and Jerry accomplish hilariously shoddy versions of classic family movies using the resourcefulness and help of the community. Yet just as the pair gains popularity as neighborhood stars, their plans are thwarted when the authorities confront them with the illegality of reshooting copyrighted movies.
The audience is curiously entertained by Mike and Jerry in their clumsy attempt to “swede” movies. The affable charisma and chemistry between the two childlike friends make for immediate indulgence despite the mediocre script and low-budget-like shooting. However, despite some insubstantial one-liners matched by corny situational humor, the unimpressive dialogue is saved by the movie’s soundtrack ““ original and tribute music to Waller ““ not to mention Mike and Jerry’s outlandish use of the layman’s special effects.
For example, the “Ghost Busters” remake is purposefully badly recorded under Gondry’s artistic direction to the audience’s elan. As the two work together to recreate the film as multiple characters, along with Jerry’s own hysterically wrong take on the theme song, they make laser beams out of Christmas tinsel attached to wires, and kill the ghost using Cool Whip. This down-to-earth humor is accompanied by moments of honest amusement and that homemade feel.
This is where Gondry wins over his audience. Despite the all-too-abrupt ending, Gondry achieves that genuine human connection with his audience that often gets lost in big-screen cookie-cutter hits. The familiarity of the town coming together to save their beloved video thrift store projects and resonates quite clearly from beginning to end. As Gondry ties the experience of the townspeople on the screen to our seats in the audience, we can’t help but feel a surge of pathos accompanied by the good-time music and bouts of laughter.
-Kimberley Wong
E-mail Wong at kwong@media.ucla.edu.