Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writer:

Michel Gondry (written by)

Release Date:

22 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

You name it, we shoot it

Plot:

A man whose brain becomes magnetized unintentionally destroys every tape in his friend's video store. In order to satisfy the store's most loyal renter, an aging woman with signs of dementia, the two men set out to remake the lost films.

Plot Keywords:

Camcorder | Camouflage | Slapstick | Steamroller | Auto Mechanic

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Jack Black	...	Jerry
Mos Def	...	Mike
Danny Glover	...	Elroy Fletcher
Mia Farrow	...	Miss Falewicz
Melonie Diaz	...	Alma
Irv Gooch	...	Wilson
Chandler Parker	...	Craig
Arjay Smith	...	Manny
Quinton Aaron	...	Q
Gio Perez	...	Randy
Basia Rosas	...	Andrea
Tomasz Soltys	...	Carl
Marcus Carl Franklin	...	Kid #1
Blake Hightower	...	Kid #2
Amir Ali Said	...	Kid #3

Also Known As:

Abgedreht - Be kind rewind (Germany) [de]
Gyrna to monos sou (Greece) [el]
Lütfen basa sarin (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Soyez sympas, rembobinez (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual references.

Runtime:

USA:101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:12A | Sweden:Btl | Ireland:12A | Norway:7 | Australia:PG | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43318) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Denmark:A | Greece:K | Finland:S | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Québec) | Germany:o.Al. | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Partizan

Trivia:

Michel Gondry was inspired to make this film after making Block Party (2005) which took place on one city block. Dave Chappelle was interested in playing Mike and came up with ideas of remaking Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Boyz n the Hood (1991).

Quotes:

Mike: [holding the Ghost Busters tape] I'll be Bill Murray and you'll be everyone else.

Movie Connections:

References The Notebook (2004)

Another enjoyable and thought-provoking film by Jack Black

Looking at the existing comments you might be forgiven for wondering why over 500 people have given this a 10 out of 10 rating. To date, none of those have commented on the movie apart from me.

For me, Jack Black has appeared in three films that have unexpectedly made me think: School of Rock, Shallow Hal and this one. All these films seem to have a genuine sense of fun, particularly where children are involved, yet have a deeper message that lingers as an uncomfortable question in the back of my mind long after the film has ended: School of Rock about the nature of teaching, Shallow Hal about our perception of beauty and Be Kind Rewind about communities and film-making. I have found no answers to any of the questions posed by these films.

I easily managed to suspend my disbelief for two hours and found this movie genuinely funny and touching all at the same time. As a moviemaker myself this film reminded me that great movies are made by people who love them (e.g. Somewhere in Time, The Sting) and they're made for the audience of that time and place. It's not about realism, it's about loving the story. This film reminded me that communities are broken up in the name of progress, which gives the film a rather melancholy feel towards the end. But most of all it reminded me of the fun we have in making short films and the excitement you feel when you see the product of your own efforts.

Great acting by all - without exception. And what a nice touch to rejuvenate the memory of Fats Waller.