Tuesday

Be Kind, Rewind is the latest film from Michel Gondry, director of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. I think the partnership of Jack Black and Mos Def works extremely well - one exaggerating scenarios as the other understates them. It's an intriguing idea - all the movies in a video shop are erased, forcing the two characters to re-enact them - but it does teeter on the edge of being a 'concept film', or, if you prefer, a 'one joke movie'. The humour and inventiveness of Gondry, however, as well as the performances of Black and Def keep you interested. A fascinating and seductive world is invented for you. The problem here, though, is the sentimental over-used Hollywood plot that runs behind the creativity. The video store is threatened with closure and destruction. The characters must do something to save it, and also the community. The conclusion is unsatisfactory, leaving many plot-lines unresolved, and trying to seduce us with a sickly sweet ending. This could have been a truly brilliant movie, especially if they tried to say more about creativity, copyright, and the current trend for sequels, franchises and reproductions in modern American cinema. Unfortunately, this remains just a sweet, light-hearted movie, but it will be interesting to see if Gondry can adapt his incredible creativity to tackle more serious themes in the future.