Review of Be Kind Rewind (2008) by Ian F — 12 Apr 2010

So I didn't really know what to make of this. After some rumination, I have some ideas and really, its much smarter than I expected. Yet not as smart as I expected. The premise- Black is a magnet- doesn't fly and the whole first part until the movies are erased is really lame and not funny at all.

Once they are erased and they begin to parody, it gets funny and truthfully smart. It gets smarter when Glover comes back and really sums up the movie rental system: its give up your past or be forgotten yourself; forget or be forgotten.

I like that. It's also about community being forgotten and how these parodies and the ending demolition of the store, leads to a rebuilding of what was forgotten. The fact too that its based on a lie is funny as film is based on lies.

Oh... I've been in film studies too long! A smart movie but overall a little disappointing.