What Do The Critics Say?

"A feel-good film with a gentle comic spirit, a sweet affection for its gallery of silly characters and a sincere love for the process of moviemaking." Colin Covert MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE "Give Be Kind Rewind a little time and an open mind, and it just might grow on you. Its premise is absurd, but adorably so." Moira MacDonald SEATTLE TIMES "The magnitude of Gondry’s visual ingenuity is consistently jaw-dropping." David Jenkins TIME OUT "Loopy, goofy and endearing." Michele Kenner MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL "This cute comedy is a magnetic movie that will likely attract the arthouse audiences." Chad Greene BOX OFFICE MAGAZINE "It truly inhabits the do-it-yourself spirit of independent filmmakers coloring outside the lines drawn by Hollywood." Sean Means SALT LAKE TRIBUNE "In Be Kind Rewind, the director lets his likable cast amble and shamble (Melonie Diaz and Mia Farrow share the screen with Black, Def and Glover), building to a hokey, folksy Capraesque finish. Glover seems to be enjoying himself as he offers a round of loose comic riffs. A celebration of the DIY aesthetic, and of the universal appeal of movies, "Be Kind Rewind" is a charmingly off-the-wall little tale." Steven Rea PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

"Be Kind Rewind, like last year's great Sundance film Son of Rambow, is a celebration of the power of film and the joy of the movies; not just great art, but also great trash. Written and directed by Michel Gondry, "Be Kind Rewind" is as much a work of creativity and passion as the re-shot, cut-in-camcorder, home-brew "Swedish Import" re-made Hollywood blockbusters that it revolves around." James Rocchi CINEMATICAL "It's hard to tell which is the work of art, the audience or the movie. Because they are both so beautiful." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER EXPRESS "100 minutes of sweet-natured idiocy." Nigel Andrews FINANCIAL TIMES "You’ll want to see it again, or at least Swede it yourself." A.O. Scott NEW YORK TIMES "It's a happy pill in the shape of a cinema ticket. just sit back and enjoy one of the most enchanting comedies of the year." Tim Evans SKY MOVIES "The greatest idea for a comedy ever. Please understand that this is a Michel Gondry, so even as commercial as it wants to be, it's still an art film. The shots of Black and Def remaking movies with their ingenious homemade effects are brilliant. The sheer notion that a man in America would not know the lyrics to Ghostbusters is pure comedy." Fred Topel RT FILM CRITIC

The Inside Story From the fiercely imaginative mind of Academy Award-winning writer/director Michel Gondry comes "Be Kind Rewind", a tale of two childhood friends who, inadvertently, get caught up in a scheme to rewrite film history and, in turn, save their beloved video store from extinction. What results is a heart-warming story of a sharp-tongued elderly woman who befriends her chauffeur, an investigation by spectral analysts hunting down ghosts in New York, a heart-pounding adventure about a Hong Kong detective and his foul-mouthed partner, a coming of age story set in South Central Los Angeles, and an animated classic about a young lion’s quest to retake his throne in the African Pridelands, all rolled into one. The premiss for what takes place in this very clever film whose focal point is the Be Kind Rewind Video Store, is Jerry's paranoia, that somehow, the local electricity company is controlling his mind through microwaves. Eveything goes haywire when Mr Fletcher, a huge fan of Jazz legend and local hero, Fats Waller, takes a trip to commemorate Fats’ death, leaving Mike in charge of keeping the store in order> To accomplish that he only has to keep the accident-prone Jerry away from the shop. Later that day, Jerry decides the time has come to once and for all sabotage the town’s power plant but he accidentally gets caught in an electromagnetic field. Jerry returns to the store the next morning, slightly fried, confused and disoriented, and begins wandering the aisles of the video store. Unknowingly, his magnetized brain erases all the tapes. It's a disaster on the grandest scale. Mike and Jerry concoct a plan to start "remaking" all the erased films the townspeople want to rent in an effort for Mr Fletcher to never find out. The duo starts by creating their own version of "Ghostbusters", requested by their loyal customer, and very good friend of Mr Fletcher, Miss Falewicz. The result is a complete and utter mess, but the ragtag filmmakers soon realize that in order for their ruse to work, they have to start remaking as many films as they can to keep their customers happy. I'm sure that most will appreciate the clever humour that runs riot through "Be Kind Rewind". It's a gem. The cast including a mass of unknown actors and actresses who make up the cumminity living in Passaic, New Jersey all give the film a charm that is missing in many comedies these days. What would have been downright corny in the hands of any one other than Michel Gondry, turns out to be utterly oustanding. Feature film director, commercial director, and award winning music video director, Michel Gondry, often surprises himself with his own extraordinary ideas. He received a 2005 Academy Award for his original screenplay for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", for which he created the story alongside Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth. "Human Nature", Gondry's first film, premiered at the 2001 Cannes International Film Festival and to US audiences at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, before being released by Fine Line Features in April 2002. Gondry got his start while studying graphics at a French art school when he began directing videos for the band "Oui Oui", for which he played drums. The clip's success attracted other local bands, and it wasn't long before he was working internationally. In 1993 Gondry met pop singer Björk, commencing one of his longest and most successful professional creative relationships. Their first collaboration, the video for "Human Behaviour," won practically every existing music video award. Jack Black, who stars as Jerry, first came to widespread recognition as the sarcastic music store worker in the Stephen Frears comedy High Fidelity. In 2003, Black received a Golden Globe nomination in the Best Actor category for his performance in "School of Rock". The following year, he produced and starred in the hit comedy "Nacho Libre". He provided the voice of Lenny in the 2004 animated feature "Shark Tale", which also featured vocal performances from Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Renée Zellweger and Robert De Niro. In 2005, Black portrayed filmmaker and showman Carl Denham in Peter Jackson’s epic "King Kong". The multi-faceted Black is lead singer of the rock-folk comedy group "Tenacious D", which he created with friend Kyle Gass. The band had a variety series on HBO in 1999. Their 2001 self-titled debut album was quickly certified gold. "Tenacious D" recently starred in their first feature film "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny". Black made his feature film debut in 1992 for director Tim Robbins in the film, "Bob Roberts". His efforts in film and music have been rewarded with a Blockbuster Entertainment Award (2001), DVDX Award (2003), Phoenix Film Festival Copper Wing Award (2003) and an MTV Movie Award for "School Of Rock" (2004).
Mos Def, who stars as Mike, is regarded as one of hip-hop’s most introspective and insightful artists. Def has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. A child of hip-hop’s Golden Era, the native Brooklynite spent his childhood imbedded in the culture surrounding him as well as absorbing knowledge from across the artistic spectrum. In 2003, Mos Def co-starred as Left Ear in "The Italian Job" alongside Ed Norton, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. In 2004 he played Police Sgt Lucas in the feature film "The Woodsman" (which I thoroughly recommend), with Kevin Bacon, Benjamin Bratt, Eve and Kyra Sedgwick. The New York Times said of his performance, "I hope we don’t have to wait too much longer to see him in a big-screen leading role," and USA Today heralded him as "the movie’s best performance." His effort was rewarded with a coveted Black Reel at the Black Reel Awards in 2005.
Danny Glover, who stars as Mr Fletcher, has been a commanding presence on screen, stage and television for more than 25 years. His film credits range from the blockbuster Lethal Weapon franchise to smaller independent features, some of which Glover also produced. Most recently, Glover featured in "Dreamgirls" for director Bill Condon, co-starring with Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Beyoncé. He then appeared in "Shooter" for director Antoine Fuqua, starring opposite Mark Wahlberg and Michael Pena. Many cinemagoers wouldn't be aware that Glover earned a degree in Economics from San Francisco State University. He started his acting career on the stage. It was after seeing his performance in "Master Harold... and the Boys" that film director Robert Benton cast Glover in his first leading role in 1984’s Oscar-nominated Best Picture "Places in the Heart". The following year, Glover starred in two more Best Picture nominees: Peter Weir’s "Witness" and Steven Spielberg’s "The Colour Purple". He appeared in a wide variety of roles, including playing Detective David Tappin in "Saw". Glover has become an film icon, receiving not only acclades for his talented acting but numerous awards to boot. Independent Spirit Award, numerous NAACP Image Awards, Cable ACE Award, to name a few. In recognition of his dedication to public service, Glover has been honoured with the 2002 Marian Anderson Award, the 2003 NAACP Chairman’s Award, and the 2004 BET Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mia Farrow, who stars as Miss Falewicz, grabbed cinemagoers attention when she starred as Rosemary Woodhouse in Roman Polanski's 1968 film, "Rosemary's Baby". She made her stage debut in 1963, shortly after the death of her father, in an off-Broadway production of "The Importance of Being Earnest". She married Frank Sinatra in 1966. In 1970 she married André Previn. In 1982 she became Woody Allen’s muse following the film "A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy", for which she received a Razzie Worst Actress Nomination in 1983. After that, Allen wrote many other roles for her in films such as "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986), "Crimes and Misdemeanours" (1989), "Husbands and Wives" (1992), "Shadows and Fog" (1992), and "Alice" (1990). In 1997, she published her New York Times best-selling memoir, "What Falls Away". In more recent times she has appeared on the stage once again, taking roles in James Lapine’s "Fran’s Bed" at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, and Jessica Blake and Eric Jensen’s "The Exonerated". In 2006 she starred as Mrs Baylock in "The Omen" with Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles. In 2007 she voiced Granny in "Arthur et les Minimoys" ("Arthur and the Invisibles"). Farrow once said, "I wondered if, after all the things I'd been through, could I really act again?" One would hope so, Mia. Her awards list includes David di Donatello Best Foreign Actress Award (1969), Fotogramas de Plata Best Foreign Movie Performer Award (1970), Golden Globe Most Promising Female Newcomer (1965) and the San Sebastián International Film Festival Prize San Sebastián for the comedy "Follow Me!" (1972) in which she played Belinda.
Melonie Diaz, who stars as Alma, and who attended the Professional Performing Arts High School, is best known for her film performances in "Raising Victor Vargas", Tom DiCillo's "Double Whammy" and Catherine Hardwicke’s "Lords of Dogtown". Over the past year, she has filmed five features including; Dito Montiel’s "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" (for which she received a Independent Spirit Award nomination), which premiered at Sundance; "Reggaeton", "I’ll Come Running" and "The Beautiful Ordinary".
Sigourney Weaver who appears as Ms Lawson, has created a host of memorable characters, both dramatic and comic, in film ranging from Ripley in Alien to Diane Fossey in Gorillas in Mist. Over the years, she has captivated audience and won acclaim as one of the most esteemed actresses on both stage and screen. Born and educated in New York City, Weaver graduated from Stanford University and went on to receive a Masters degree from the Yale School of Drama. Sigourney Weaver made her motion picture debut in Ridley Scott’s blockbuster "Alien." She reprised the role of Warrant Officer Ripley in James Cameron’s "Aliens". She again brought Ripley back to life in David Fincher’s "Aliens 3", which she also co-produced, and "Alien Resurrection" for director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Following "Alien", Weaver had starring roles in three back to back hit movies: "Gorillas in the Mist", the Mike Nichols comedy "Working Girl", and "Ghostbusters II." Her career achievements include 3 Acadamey Award nominations, BAFTA Award, Cognac Festival du Film Policier Special Mention for "Copycat" (1996) and a Golden Globe Award for "Gorillas in the Mist" (1989). Weaver can (at the time of writing) be seen in the Peter Travis film, "Vantage Point". Synopsis

Jerry and Mike are childhood friends living in Passaic, New Jersey, trying to make ends meet. Jerry is the neighbourhood mechanic and lives in a trailer near the power plant which he swears is slowly killing him with its 'microwaves'. Across the street, Mike lives and works in the local video rental store, "Be Kind Rewind", struggling to keep the ailing business owned by his boss, Mr Fletcher financially afloat and, physically, in one piece. When Mr Fletcher, a huge fan of Jazz legend and local hero, Fats Waller, takes a trip to commemorate Fats’ death, he leaves Mike in charge of the store, warning him to keep the accident-prone Jerry away from the shop. Later that night, Jerry attempts to sabotage the town’s power plant. While doing so, he gets caught in a huge electromagnetic field. When he visits the video store next day, his magnatized brain erases all the video tapes. To meet customer demands and save their hides, they must shoot their own versions of the titles Mr Fletchers customers want to rent.

The Verdict "It's one of the most endearing, charming and quirky films you'll come across. Wickedly funny, this down to earth, raw, uplifting film will have you in stitches. Lobbing somewhere between 'art-house' and multiplex status, Michel Gondry's latest little creation, "Be Kind Rewind" is a superb example of alternative film making with wide appeal. I've seen some little gems over the years, and this is right up there with the best of them. Despite the fact that there are so many unknowns appearing in the film, the cast is superb. Headed up by iconic African-American actor Danny Glover, zanny comedian Jack Black (you either love him or hate him), Mia Farrow and the ever improving Mos Def (get the DVD "The Woodsman" in which he is superb), "Be Kind Rewind" will have you laughing long after you've left the theatre. The slapstick Chaplinesque comedy is a hoot! Very recommended. 4 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "BE KIND REWIND" stars .......
Jack Black ["The School of Rock", "King Kong", "The Holiday" and "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story"]; Mos Def ["The Italian Job", "The Woodsman" and "16 Blocks"]; Mia Farrow ["Coming Soon", "The Omen" and "Arthur and the Invisibles"]; Melonie Diaz ["Raising Victor Vargas", "Lords of Dogtown" and "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints"]; Sigourney Weaver ["Tadpole", "Snow Cake" and "Vantage Point"] and Two time CableACE Award winner Danny Glover ["Manderlay", "Dreamgirls" and "Shooter"] as Mr Fletcher.
"BE KIND REWIND" was .......
directed by Michel Gondry ["Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" and "The Science of Sleep"]; screenplay by Michel Gondry ["The Letter", "One Day..." and "Pecan Pie"]; art direction by James Donahue ["Dirty Laundry" and "On the One"]; set decoration by Ron von Blomberg ["It Had to Be You", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Family Stone"]; production design by Dan Leigh ["Crossing Delancey", "A Walk on the Moon" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"]; edited by Jeff Buchanan ["I've Been Twelve Forever", "Corporate Ghost" and "Dave Chappelle's Block Party"]; cinematography by Ellen Kuras ["Blow", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Ballad of Jack and Rose"]; original music by Jean-Michel Bernard ["Madame Bovary", "Officer's Ward" and "The Science of Sleep"]. Who's Who?

Jack Black Mos Def Danny Glover Mia Farrow Melonie Diaz Irv Gooch Chandler Parker Arjay Smith Quinton Aaron Gio Perez Basia Rosas Tomasz Soltys David Slotkoff Frank Heins Heather Lawless Karolina Wydra Allie Woods Jr McKinley Page P.J. Byrne Marceline Hugot John Tormey Frank Girardeau Matt Walsh Paul Dinello Sigourney Weaver

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Jerry Mike Elroy Fletcher Miss Falewicz Alma Wilson Craig Manny Q Randy Andrea Carl Jack Patric Sherry Gabrielle Bochenski Doctor Bent Brother McDuff Mr Baker City Hall Employee Demolition Chief Officer Gary Officer Julian Mr Rooney Ms Lawson

Run Time 100 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - New Line Cinema - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.