New DVD Release Review: Be Kind Rewind

All you have to say to get me to see a movie is Michel Gondry and I'm there. The Science of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are two of my favorites. I have to say, though, I was skeptical about Be Kind Rewind. It sounded too silly. Mos Def and Jack Black are best friends. Danny Glover is Mos Def's foster father and e owns a run down video store in Passaic, New Jersey. After a freak accident, Jack Black accidentally erases all the tapes and so they remake the movies themselves.

Sounds stupid, doesn't it? But instead, it is so sweet and fun, and really funny, too. I think it's because watching the characters remake the film is so enjoyable for the viewer. The imagination used, the capturing of our favorite scenes, the distillation of the movies we all love into cleverly recreated snippets using very low special effects and camera tricks. It's giggle-inducing. Plus there's the underlying plot about city gentrification and trying to save old neighborhoods and things like that, that are treated in ways in which they're not usually treated in movie that make you feel good after watching them.

Just like with any Michel Gondry film, there's multiple layers going on, too. It's working your senses on many levels, so watching just once isn't quite good enough and owning is well worth it, because you spot something you didn't previously, or realize something you hadn't before.

Definitely not mainstream. Definitely quirky. At times silly but quite conscious of its silliness. Totally a smile maker, though.

Sunday at the Movies

I spent the day on Sunday watching movies, some were "re-watches", some for the first time. I was down the Cape (as they say) and the Ps have all the movie channels. So I lounged and lingered and watched the following movies:

Great Balls of Fire - (missed beginning) Yeah, it's been decades, and she's probably in her 60s now, but I still can't believe Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13 year old second cousin. Dennis Quaid and Winona "the shoplifter" Ryder did a good job, though.

A Prairie Home Companion - (missed beginning) after all this time, I finally saw that Lindsey Lohan movie my sister was talking about. I wonder if it will be as good as the live show? I'll let you know after I see it up in Bangor in May (Christmas Present from Cindy & Sadie). It was as quirky as funny and folksy and cutesy as any other PHC experience, and Virginia Madsen looked so pretty.

Lucky You - (entirety) In the marketing for this movie, it looked like Drew Barrymore was the main character and she was struggling to deal with her gambling lover. It turns out this is a movie about a poker playing man, the legend and legacy and tumultous relationship with his poker player dad, his gambling problem and --oh yeah-- he likes Drew Barrymore. This was the second Eric Bana movie I saw that week. It was a Bana week for me. He's mighty handsome. I think I smell yet another phantom husband...

Primary Colors - (halfway through) This movie is even more interesting now that Hillary is running. But, oddly enough, I saw Obama in the "Stanton" character -- played by John Travolta. That Emma Thompson played Hill spot on though.

Stranger Than Fiction - (last third) speaking of Emma Thompson...to see these movies in one day just shows her range: from rigid, decisive, strident First Lady To Be to nutcase, chain-smoking, gloom-and-doom fiction writer, she does it all very very well. I love this movie. It's so tender, so funny, so smart. I love the anarchist baker and the IRS auditor falling in love. The linking of lives, the calm yet weird side characters (Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah). It's just a lovely movie, that I happily re-watched. I need to buy this DVD. Now I want Bavarian sugar cookies.

The Science of Sleep - (entirety) Gael Garcia Bernal, just to be up front, is on the list. (Obv.) This is another one of those movies that I would like to own because I've now seen it 3 times. Michel Gondry is one of my favorite movie makers (I used movie makers instead of just director because he also wrote the script for this film.) I saw him on Conan when he was promoting "Be Kind Rewind" (which I haven't seen & will now have to wait for the DVD). His mind is absolutely fascinating -- the way it works so non-linear. It reminds me of this quote I just read, that there is a strong

I Love My Wife - (first third) after such good movies, I couldn't bring myself to finish watching this slow-moving, not funny, repetitive movie with meandering story line and underdeveloped characters. Sorry Chris Rock, but this was a major major miss.

Thus I ended my marathon of movie watching and finally left Cape Cod.