It's not nearly as funny as its premise would suggest, and the movie even becomes a little dull when it tries to make a few points about the differences between commercialism and art.
Comment
02/22/08
Be Kind Rewind (2008)
65
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:124
Fresh:81
Rotten:43
Average Rating:6.3/10
Australian Theatrical Release:
Mar 20, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $11,028,439
Synopsis: Music-video-director-turned-auteur Michel Gondry continues to charm with his low-tech offering, BE KIND REWIND. Set in dreary Passaic, New Jersey, the comedy centers on two of the town's residents:... [More]
Reviews for Be Kind Rewind
It takes a special talent to wring so much warm, humane comedy out of such a screwy premise. But the real triumph is how Gondry uses it to champion no-budget indie filmmaking, salute cinema’s unifying properties and thumb his nose at the Hollywood system.
02/22/08
I felt positive and genial while watching it, but I didn't break out in paroxysms of laughter. It's the kind of amusing film you can wait to see on DVD. I wonder if it will come out on VHS?
02/22/08
Top CriticOne wants to protect this, but it's hard not to gag on the cuteness.
02/22/08
Rousingly bad moviemaking brings out some of Gondry's most blissful.
02/22/08
A pathetic new piece of whimsy from the cult fantasist Michel Gondry.
02/22/08
This cute comedy is a magnetic movie that will likely attract the arthouse audiences.
02/22/08
It's a happy pill in the shape of a cinema ticket.
02/22/08
[Gondry] seems almost to relish his house-of-cards approach, so much so that the uncharmed critic might reasonably feel it a waste of breath to blow it down. I would agree.
02/22/08
Michel Gondry is a visionary of sorts, but he needs a talented writer to add emotional depth to his child-like creativity if he is going to reach the heights of Eternal Sunshine again.
02/22/08
The director has attempted to construct quite a complex little film here, but only parts of this delicate concoction work effectively. The movie feels like a strange, lightweight piece of ephemeral fluff.
02/22/08
Moments of Gondry inspiration make Be Kind Rewind worth your time, even if you decide to wait for the video.
02/22/08
Lots of heart. But it won't change your life.
02/22/08
I liked the various ways in which Gondry utilized his essentially absurdist conceit as an ingenious way of exploring how people relate in deeply personal ways to the power of cinema
02/22/08
The magnitude of Gondry’s visual ingenuity is consistently jaw-dropping.
02/22/08
Michel Gondry's latest cinematic breakthrough Be Kind Rewind grants passage into his magical imagination and proves yet again he's one of today's artistic giants.
02/22/08
The picture is a harmonious callback to low-fi filmmaking and community spirit, allowing Gondry a wide open meadow to let his viral creativity and mischievous determination frolic...It's endearing eye candy.
02/21/08
It's one of those rare experiences that remind us not exactly why we love movies, but how we love them.
02/21/08
...the lack of subtlety with which Gondry has imbued the latter half of the proceedings ensures that the film is ultimately an extraordinarily tough slog indeed.
02/21/08
a brilliant little allegory
02/21/08
Latest News for Be Kind Rewind
June 25, 2008:
A people's cinema rough cut heart so squarely in the right place over in Passaic as opposed to Hollywood, that it's pretty much hard to resist. 
More...
June 16, 2008:
RT on DVD: 70 More Minutes of The Incredible Hulk on Blu-Ray??
This week in DVD news, that long-awaited Kill Bill double-volume set may finally be on its way and Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier promises enough leftover Hulk... More...
March 05, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Slow Week Sees Bank Job Claim No.1
A slow week at the box office allowed Jason Statham's The Bank Job to sneak into first place in the UK charts. Meanwhile Rambo, Cloverfield and Alvin and the Chipmunks all... More...
February 29, 2008:
UPDATED: UK Box Office Breakdown: Odeon Snubs Rambo
Jumper holds on to the number one spot at the UK box office, but only because a dispute between Sony and Odeon kept the film of the cinema chain's 100+ screens. More...
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