MCTBe Kind Rewind
Rating: 3/5
Director: Michael Gondry
Starring: Mos Def, Jack Black, Danny Glover
In “Be Kind Rewind” Michel Gondry made a film that has a cultural relevance and impact far beyond its quality. The director of modern, melancholy classics (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) and precious morsels (“The Science of Sleep”) has introduced the world to sweding.
What is sweding? Well, it’s what Mike and Jerry (Mos Def and Jack Black) do when Jerry accidentally erases all of the tapes in their video store. Unable to replace the tapes or meet their rather modest demand for rentals, they decide to remake the movies hoping no one will notice that their favorite stars have been replaced by their favorite video store clerks. Jerry calls these tapes “sweded” to explain why the rental costs have jumped up; he’s getting them from Sweden. Their New Jersey neighborhood quickly sees through their ruse, but they don’t care. They like the simplified, shortened versions of “Ghostbusters” and “Rush Hour 2” for the same reason we like Michel Gondry. Everything he does, from his features to his music videos to his videos posted on YouTube where he solves a Rubik’s cube with his feet, is imbued with his personality and heart. He lends his inventive special effects and creativity to Mike and Jerry. To simulate Agent K’s car driving upside-down through the Lincoln Tunnel in “Men in Black” they put dozens of toy cars on a roller and attach it to the top of the car.
The combination of a simple story (the video store has been condemned and will be shut down if they can’t come up with a lot of cash for repairs) and a cute aesthetic should serve Gondry very well. But unfortunately it just doesn’t work as well as it should. And the problem is, as surprising as it may be, the movie doesn’t have enough heart. Sure it was a little sloppy and had some clunky dialogue, but it really lacked that spirit that Gondry floods all his work with. It seems that the well has run dry. Jack Black and Mos Def do offer a certain amount of whim and good will, but the movie just doesn’t give them enough to do. If you expect the movie to be filled with clips of their sweded movies, you’ll be disappointed. Most of their time on screen is spent bickering emptily. It just doesn’t add up to much more than a great idea for a movie directed by the guy who was born to make it. There are no surprises, although there are several wonderfully bizarre moments.
But Michel Gondry’s efforts aren’t wasted. On the heels of the brilliant trailer and concept for “Be Kind Rewind,” hundreds of groups across the world have started sweding their own movies. Regular people who want to make their mark on some of their favorite stories are now empowered and have been given a jumping off point so that they can express themselves just as Michel Gondry has.
Best Sweded movies
Predator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kie8t5nolWg
Sure they sum up a classic action movie in all of two minutes, but the attitudes are exactly right and the cheapie effects and ridiculous Predator costume make it all worthwhile. The ultimate in low, low budget/effort sweded movies.
Labyrinth
http://beta.filmmakingfrenzy.com/sites/filmfrenzy_beta/ViewFilm.aspx?FilmId=165
These guys really go all out for what amounts to one dude showing off his killer David Bowie impersonation. It is a good one though, and the clever effects, especially during the twisted gravity MC Escher finale, really make this one worthwhile.
Goldeneye (Opening sequence)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKXXscfZVEo
While not the best one out there and acted entirely by teenagers, this one got me because it’s what sweding is all about. A bunch of friends with too much time on their hands honor one of their favorite movies. They even get most of the details wrong just for good measure. One of my favorites, if only for its veracity.
Lord of the Rings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtSYLGXnnE8
This one actually qualifies as decent entertainment. Its just as good as some of the swedes Michel Gondry made for “Be Kind Rewind” but without the $20 million budget. Some great references to other movies (“Do you expect me to talk, Sauron,” “No Gandalf, I expect you to die”) and the Balrog costume couldn’t be better. Toward the top of the sweding game.