Intro to Cinema: Be Kind, Rewind

Much like his fellow King of Quirk, Wes Anderson, people tend to either love or hate Michel Gondry. The good news is, yesterday’s DVD release of Be Kind Rewind will most likely satisfy either faction. Be Kind is the hilariously absurd story of two friends (Jack Black and Mos Def) who attempt to save a local video store after erasing their entire VHS catalog. Haters had a field day tearing apart the gimmicky, contrived plot, while fans simply saw it as a vehicle Gondry’s innovative, homemade effects. We have to side with the latter. Eternal Sunshine was proof that the zany Frenchman is capable of making excellent movies. However, it seems as if Gondry would rather forgo the silver screen for MTV or YouTube. It’s tough not to respect the dude who invented bullet time and directed the most acclaimed commercial ever.
All in all, Be Kind is a genuinely entertaining reminder to support local businesses. So unless you need 40 copies of National Treasure 2, stop by Scarecrow Video in Seattle or Film is Truth in Bellingham to pick up a copy.