(Warning: This review contains no spoilers whatsoever, unless you command great deductive prowess and/or are magnetized!)
The Movie: Be Kind Rewind.
Starring: Mos Def, Jack Black, Melonie Diaz, and Danny Glover.
Plot: Jerry (Jack Black) erases all the VHS tapes in Mr. Fletcher’s (Danny Glover) video rental store, while he’s away. Mike (Mos Def), who is left in charge of the video store, decides to remake the movies with the help of Jerry and Alma (Melonie Diaz).
Rating: In a scale of 1 out of infinite apples to oranges, the film gets a googolplex.
What Does This Mean: It means go see the movie; you may or may not regret it.
Ich habe keine geld: What?! Hans Grüber never said that! (Though he might’ve before visiting LA.)
Tickets Aren’t Cheap: Yes, very true. Perhaps I should talk more about what will be…
The Most Underrated Film of 2008!
For those of you who have already seen the film and think I’m crazy, believe me, I understand. I doubt this will be a largely popular movie, but it is very, very good. Every scene in the movie was executed with deliberation. Not forced, mind you, just a free-flowing will, exacting what the story was about and how it needed to be portrayed.
So, if it’s not a popular movie, but it’s a well done movie, then it must be the kind of movie only a maker-of-movies would appreciate. No, unfortunately, there is a certain tendency for film people (not all though!) to joyfully submerge themselves in a creative-type pretention of a gelatin like consistency.
So who is this movie for?
Group A: People who don’t realize they have a creative spark.
Group B: People who haven’t found their inspiration.
Group C: People who want to go back and remember the time and place in their lives when they realized it’s possible to create anything one’s mind can conjure.
Which brings me to the something else demonstrated in the film. A movie doesn’t have to “be good” to be good! A great script, awesome production value, and top-notch talent doesn’t necessarily yield cinema we love. Typically when these things come about, it’s because the people making the movie are really into what they are doing. It’s also something subjectivity has a hard time skewering perspective with. If there is a heavy dose of passion involved and nothing else, a film will find at least one person somewhere that loves it. (This is something I can sympathize with.) I suppose someone could argue, if less than a majority “likes” a movie, then it’s not a good one. But, for a contemporary example, try telling that to fans of Nacho Libre. (My brother and I included. Maybe we just like Jack Black!) And look at Netflix with all of the genres and sub-genres of films I’ve never heard of, though somebody must be watching them. Even Amazon and their partnership with CreateSpace are providing all kinds of super-indie films to the masses. Not mainstream at all.
Another way of saying all this is, the only bad art is when it’s done for it’s own sake. All that actually is bad with movies spawns from this. Including creators and audiences alike, I think it pretty much encompasses everything that is wrong and can go wrong during a film’s life, from it’s conception to the bottomless bargain bin.
Now, to finish up this post (finally! gah!) I want to mention the last great thing, perhaps the greatest thing, about artistic endeavors. It’s one that Be Kind Rewind exemplifies quite well in its story. When you create something, you bring people together. This is true, especially when you really care about what you’re creating. Don’t be surprised when this happens, and try not to fight it.
So here’s to all my favorite movies (Be Kind Rewind included) and your favorite movies and everybody’s favorite movies that no one else gives a googolplex of flips about. Adios.