Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Réalisateur:

Michel Gondry

Scénariste:

Michel Gondry (written by)

Release Date:

22 février 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedie | Sci-Fi

Accroche:

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:

Video Store | Steamroller | Burglary | Auto Mechanic | Power Transformer

Awards:

1 nomination

Avis des utilisateurs:

Fun film, though script is lacking

Ensemble

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

Autre(s) titre(s) :

Soyez sympas, rembobinez (France) [fr]
Vidéo sur demande (Canada: French title) (DVD title) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual references. (also video version)

Durée:

102 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Son:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Classification:

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

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Partizan

Anecdotes:

In keeping with the spirit of the film, director Michel Gondry "sweded" a version of this movie's trailer featuring only himself on screen.

Guillemet:

Mike: [to Jerry as they begin to remake Ghost Busters] I'm Bill Murray, you're everybody else.

Connexions De Film:

References Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Fun film, though script is lacking

Michel Gondry is a very talented filmmaker especially when it comes to visuals. His music videos and films go beyond simple video marvels into a world of simple visual trickery. This is something Gondry is very good at. Furthermore, he has a do it yourself mantra when it comes to filmaking. He's not into the marvels of CGI. He's more into what you can do without it.

But it takes a little more than visual trickery to make a film a success. Be Kind Rewind is a prime example. The film starts off well enough. Mos Def helps run a video store owned by Danny Glover's character. The store is probably one of the last remaining stores catering to VHS. Jack Black is Mos Def's left of center friend who works at an electrical plant. Through some plan to sabotage the plant, he becomes magnetic, erasing all the tapes.

Our heroes are forced to re-record the movies and do it through a process called "sweding," producing 10-15 minute versions of the film, using a wide array of do it yourself techniques that Gondry himself has utilized in his work. An example is a simple trick where filming through a fan makes the film look old. All of this is fun. The way the guys try to truncate the film's stories into a little time or their lack of knowledge regarding some films like Driving Miss Daisy. the crude effects are fun and are prime examples of why we love Michel Gondry.

The downside to the film is the script, penned by Gondry. Clearly, the film is built around the sweded films. But I was starting to think that watching the sweded films would've been more fun than watching Be Kind Rewind itself. Gondry never fully fleshes out his characters or resolves some of the subplots. The visuals are fun, but when Gondry's forced to wrap up the movie, it becomes a little sporadic and we start to realize the the film doesn't go much beyond its rich concept.

There is something great to take away from this film. And while I have some reservations about the film, my recommendation for the film is based on Gondry's filmaking vision. That is to say, there is clearly a joy of filmaking associated with Gondry that will have me continue to look forward to his work. If you're not sure what I mean, take a look at his promotional materials or at his other short films. The man loves filmaking and has fun with this movie. However, I'd recommend he build an alliance with some good screenwriters that would help his visions become fully realized, and not just good natured diversions, as this film is.