Be Kind Rewind

Director: Michel Gondry
Screenwriters: Michel Gondry
Starring: Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz
Running time: 100 mins
Certificate: 12A

Everybody at some stage in their life has dreamed of being a movie star. Whether it was acting out scenes in the school playground or trying a turn at stage school, we've all had those thoughts that maybe we could be the next big thing if only Spielberg came knocking. Michel Gondry plays on these emotions in his quirky new comedy Be Kind Rewind, which tells audiences that you can become superstar filmmakers as long as you've got a dusty old camcorder and few idiot friends to help.

Jerry (Black) and Mike (Def) are childhood friends from Passaic, New Jersey. Mike works and lives in the video store Be Kind Rewind with Mr Fletcher (Glover), while oddball Jerry works as a mechanic and lives in a campervan in his yard. When Mr Fletcher leaves on a trip to commemorate local jazz hero Fats Waller, Mike is left in charge and warned not to let troublemaker Jerry into the store. However, Mike decides to ignore Mr Fletcher's warning when he spots Jerry vomiting outside his store window.

During an attempt to sabotage the local power plant, which Jerry believes is attacking his brain, the mechanic gets caught in an electromagnetic field, which in turn leads to him wiping clean all the videos in Mr Fletcher's store. In an attempt to save the rental shop from going under, Mike and Jerry decide to remake all the movies in the store themselves. When the movies prove a success, the pair suddenly realise not only can they save the store, but they can also help rejuvenate Passaic by casting its residents in one final movie.

The basic premise for this movie may sound like something out of a Fast Show sketch, but with Black giving one of his finest comedic performances to date - and seemingly given free reign to ham it up by Gondry - the result is a well-rounded film, rather than a series of cut-and-paste scenes. While many leave screenings ruing the fact that they didn't come up with the plotline first, it's impossible to watch Black and Def work their way through the likes of Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2, Robocop and Driving Miss Daisy without surrendering to bouts of giggles.

Gondry brings to the screen an unusual mix of childish humour and dazzlingly bizarre set pieces in this film that recall the best moments from past works Human Nature and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. While much of what makes Be Kind Rewind lovable is twee and whimsical, the more heavyweight underlying messages of supporting your local community and personal creativity triumphing over big business are dealt with superbly. Mr Fletcher's financial concerns, romances and inner city deprivation are dealt with sparingly and with subtle brush strokes rather than the usual Hollywood heart-tugging clichés.

Jack Black will undoubtedly receive most of the plaudits, but his performance is aided in every scene by Mos Def's understated and measured turn. Def's character exudes warmth from the screen and he creates a childlike innocence for Mike, who stumbles around romance with local laundrette worker Alma (Melonie Diaz) and creates a believable, textured relationship between himself and Glover's wise father-figure.

Be Kind Rewind is always hilarious and occasionally brushes with comedy genius. Gondry's witty and artfully crafted script toys with major themes and creates believable rounded characters, but never slips into a formulaic or soppy mould. An inspiring and imaginative movie that allows all the players involved to flourish.