be kind rewind

Betsy and I saw Be Kind Rewind this past weekend. Below is the movie trailer.

Honestly, at first I wasn't all that excited to see it. I thought it would be silly and sophomoric...basically, another platform for Jack Black to act like Jack Black.

But I must say that I was pleasantly surprised.

It is very silly. But it is also smart. And quirky. And heart-warming. And yes, I did say "heart-warming". Underneath the comedic surface, it is really a film about how story and art possess the power to transform a community; the power to bring beauty and life and joy to an otherwise ugly world. They can do more than provide an escape...they can provide hope.

If you've seen the movie...at this point, you may be thinking, "Geez, dude. You're maybe going a little too deep with this one." Maybe. I mean, in many ways it is just another goofy movie. We laughed out loud on a number of occasions. But in the end, it really struck a chord with me.

It is the story of two screw-ups living in a poor, urban neighborhood in New York City. Two screw-ups who, through creating silly little movies, unite their very diverse neighborhood and give them an identity and a sense of pride.

I think the movie is unique and brilliant.

How unique and brilliant? Well, its by the same writer/director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michael Gondry, if that gives you any indication. I actually didn't know that until I started writing this post, but it makes sense. It is not nearly as dramatic, or...trippy, as Eternal Sunshine, (it is a comedy, through and through) but it has the same heart.

It isn't an epic blockbuster. It won't win any awards or pull in hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. But it does entertain. It does tell a story worth telling. And...it really does warm your heart a little.

Of course, all the while, providing a platform for Jack Black to act like Jack Black.