02.29.08
Be Kind Rewind
Anyone who’s anyone - that is, anyone who reads Defamer - has heard about how the plot for Be Kind Rewind was (maybe) copied (probably just a coincidence) from an episode of Amanda “Ellen Page? Where the Fuck is My Oscar Nomination?!” Bynes’ old Nickelodeon show (the impeccably titled) The Amanda Show. I think this ’scandal’ is a little interesting (not as good as Katie Holmes Faked Running the NYC Marathon, but still pretty good) but since it’s probably just a coincidence, maybe it will, at the very least, serve to deflate Michel Gondry’s ego a little. No, you know, scratch that. I like to think of Michel Gondry as a kind of whimsical, artsy, aw shucks my movie isn’t that great kind of guy (don’t ask me to explain why I think this, it is probably way off base). So, maybe this accusation will devastate him completely! I definitely don’t want that.
But anyway.
Be Kind Rewind is a decently cute movie. It is definitely a good idea. For sure. And impeccably cast with Jack Black and Mos Def (mos def!!) as two sort of inept guys who erase all the videos in a video store and have to go about replacing them so they decide to reshoot them, starring themselves. True to movie fashion, the lowbudg movies are a huge hit! Of course, the process of making these movies is really entertaining to watch but there is also this frame story about Passaic, New Jersey, Danny Glover (who has the hots for Mia Farrow) and Fats Waller. Ok, whatever, this part was totally boring and not entertaining to watch at all…that’s harsh. Not *very* entertaining to watch. Just kind of weird and stilted. But again, great casting.
I also think that Melonie Diaz who plays Alma (Jack & Mos recruit her to be the girl in their movies) is really great and funny and sassy but not in a way that you hate her, though the pseudo-completelyunpaidoff-romantic-kind-of-love-story-not-really-thing that she has going on with Mos Def in the movie is not great or necessary. And Mos Def is totally cute. He was a rapper or something? “O.J. found innocent by a jury of his peers / And they been fuckin with that nigga for the last five years”? That is sooo adorable!!!