Review | "Be Kind, Rewind" made me nostalgic for my first year at Chapman
By Dimitri Keogh, Guest Columnist
I’m sure we’re all aware of Michel Gondry’s irreverently sweet film “Be Kind, Rewind”… wait, you aren’t? Well, three days ago, neither was I.
On a whim, I checked the indie film out based on the influx of recommendations flooding the internet right now. I expected a nice little movie that would pass an hour and 40 minutes of time. And it starred Jack Black, who’s always a favorite in my household. But the film turned out to be so much more.
“Be Kind, Rewind” follows two friends, Jerry and Mike (Jack Black and Mos Def, respectively). Mike works at the local VHS shop (yes, VHS shop. You can imagine the hipsters in 2006 flocking to the theatres), while Jerry works as a mechanic next to the town’s power plant. The VHS shop is owned by no other than Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover). When developers want to tear down the building, Mr. Fletcher leaves town to find ways to reinvigorate his business leaving Mike in charge. Hilarity ensues when Jerry becomes a human magnet (don’t live next to power plants, kids), and accidentally wipes all of the VHS tapes. Not knowing what else to do, the two decide to remake every single movie, using themselves as the actors and an old camera as their gear.
It might sound like some ridiculous farce (and you’d be right in calling it that), but to this moviegoer, it served as a nostalgic remembrance of my first year at Chapman.
It might have only been a week or so ago when Chapman told its students to go home but it feels like ages. Times that I would be reflecting on for months – leading up to a heartfelt goodbye for summer break – was cut short. Not to mention, the two months of planned trips and prospective memories that vanished into thin air.
But this movie served as a salve to those wounds. Watching Jerry and Mike shoot movies, just like my friends and I, and countless other people at Chapman have done, I was reminded of those good times. The arguments about the script, the cheap ways Jerry and Mike find to replicate iconic shots, the shitty acting, all reminiscent of my first year at Chapman.
“Be Kind, Rewind” prides itself on its acting to bring home the heart. The script is clever and full of heart in its own right (all the homages make it clear that Michel Gondry loves movies and the movie making process), but that alone isn’t enough. The whole cast delivers the goods. The movie hits its stride when Alma (the scene-stealing Melonie Diaz) is brought into the fold, but the brunt of the emotional weight is carried by Mos Def. Playing the straight-man to Jack Black’s zany Jerry is no small feat, but to do so while maintaining the stress of the plot snowballs into a joyously bittersweet ending that’ll make you want to call your friends and tell them you love them.
I implore all who are missing their friends and wanting to reminisce on old times to watch this movie. It’s an easy way to pass the time during quarantine and it’s only $2.99 on Amazon Prime. What else better do you have to do?
Rating: 4/5