A few weeks ago I was introduced to this hilarious blog by my friend John (Props again for the tip, Jilmes). For those too lazy to click the link and look at it, it's called "Stuff White People Like," and it's basically just a consistently growing, numbered list of exactly what the title describes, although the posts I've read suggest a more precise subject, namely; white, urban, intellectual Americans as opposed to "white people" in general. But bearing in mind this clarification, it is actually unsettlingly accurate, and especially witty. The titular "stuff," includes everything from clothing (Shorts) to mainstream cultural icons (Barack Obama) to behaviors (standing still at concerts), even ideas and beliefs (knowing what's best for poor people). According to the archives, the blog has only been active since January of this year, but it updates frequently, and is, at the time of this post, on entry number 91: San Fransisco.
Numbers 68 and 69 are Michel Gondry and Mos Def, respectively. And both posts were up just in time for the release of "Be Kind Rewind,"which is more than can be said for this blog. By now, most cinephiles have either seen the film themselves or have casually dismissed it based on the kooky previews, the lackluster reviews, or perhaps the presence of pudgy, musical funnyman Jack Black.
Well let me be the first to tell anyone in the latter category that they fucked up. Big mistake, not catching this one. Although "Stuff White People Like," lampoons the fact that the film is tailor-made for white people, featuring two of their most beloved entertainers, the irony is that the film is actually about a place affluent whites avoid for the most part, before the mixed-race leads begin remaking Hollywood blockbusters, and in the process, remake their entire community. But that's probably saying too much too soon. The most important thing a skeptic has keep in mind about "Be Kind Rewind," is that it is a work of far more substance than the mainstream press would have one believe.
Superficially the most accessible Gondry movie to date, featuring crowd favorites Danny Glover and Mia Farrow, in addition to Black, Def, and the superb but mostly unknown Melonie Diaz, "Be Kind Rewind," retains the trademark Gondry "whimsy," that fans have come to love and expect. By this I mean the director's inspired use of random, commonplace materials like cardboard and tin foil to create wondrous props and sets. This film abounds with them, including an awesome scene where Black and Def's characters are breaking into a power plant and must hide from the police using some very effective camouflage. But unlike previous Gondry works, many of his creations are deliberately played for their comedic value, and indeed, it is impossible not to break into a smile when they appear onscreen. I would go as far as to say that, despite my affinity for Jack Black's antics, the main source of humor is largely Gondry himself, who wisely uses his takes to pepper the film with a continuous stream of ever-evolving visual gags. The result is that the viewer is constantly on the edge of his or her seat, awaiting the next distinct Gondry piece, which is sure to be better than the last.
But the most pleasant surprise is that "Be Kind Rewind," transcends beyond well the promised fun and the laughter. Keeping it's entirely unbelievable premise afloat (the best solution for a video shop full of erased films is to...recreate them using a camcorder?) are several metaconflicts regarding race, capitalism, community and the art of filmmaking in general. What starts as a one note joke about Hollywood's penchant for remakes becomes a thoroughly touching exploration of relationships that most of us take for granted; the relationship between an artist and an artwork, between a video-store clerk and his clients, between that store and the neighborhood in which it resides, between a people and their history.
It comes as no great shock to the viewer when the amateur remakes created by Black, Def and their ragtag crew of supporters end up being more popular with their customers than the originals, but what is shocking is how hungry all those people are for something earnest, something that they can feel connected to, even if it is short, unpolished and illegal. Leaving "Be Kind Rewind," the viewer has a sense that Gondry gets what this digital mass-movement is all about, why You-Tube and music piracy are so popular, and what has been missing from all the big studio productions. On one level, the film recognizes the destructive potential of these powerful new forces, showing how the tiny video-shop carrying only VHS is relentlessly, remorselessly squeezed by the giant, cutting-edge, corporate apparatus. But at the same time, consumer technology is a godsend, presenting the protagonists not only the opportunity to save their humble little business, but with the potential to express their own creativity, vision and heart. And so they do, relentlessly and remorselessly, to our great pleasure.
Part of the reason I waited so long to post this review was because I wanted to first see another film that I (accurately) predicted would be it's kindred spirit. A few recent graduates and at least one drop-out of the school I attend, the University of Missouri-Columbia, came together a year or so ago to make their own independent film based on their college careers. The fascinating result is a Judd Apatow-esque comedy that will be touring college campuses around the U.S. for the next few months, so if you're a student or live near a university, be on the look out for "Box Elder."
Now, the storyline of the film is utterly simplistic; four college guys attempt to graduate while frequently indulging in the typical hedonistic pleasures associated with American higher education, i.e. drink, drug and sex, but what made the film such a hit among audiences in the area was just that- it was shot in the area, with actors who knew the community and the kind of lives its' members were living. Well, that, and the spectacularly funny dialog, which comes close, no joke, to rivaling that spewed by Vince Vaughn.
Hearing informal reviews of this film piqued my interest well beyond that of any typical Hollywood release, but actually watching it, sitting in the newly constructed community theater, the Ragtag, with two of my roommates, i.e. my college-family, on either side of me, well, it was a strange and wonderful experience unlike any I've ever had at the movies. I felt joy and amusement and excitement of course, but more than this, I felt like I were looking in a funhouse mirror, seeing my own distorted reflection and that of my companions. It made me feel self-conscious, small, thoughtful, and moved, but not in some sappy, brief, forced way. No, "Box Elder," moved me to think about my own life and the choices I've made, and that's a rare quality in my moviegoing.
We are told many people go to films to escape their lives, their problems, the terrible real issues that are occupying their worlds, and yet there is something within all of us, I think, that rejects this notion. As a viewer, the films that stay with me the longest, the films I love most, are those that speak to something inside of me, something that I've done or felt or wanted. And that's not to say that escapist films don't have their place. I just think that above all, what a good film does is speak to it's audience in a way that they appreciate, in a way that respects their experiences, in a way that makes them think about what it's like to be human. So see "Box Elder," if you get the chance, and see "Be Kind Rewind," when you get the chance, and if you're really lucky like me, you'll get to see one within a few days of the other, and then, I'm sure, we will have much more to talk about. Or just refer to the list.
In Sum:
"Be Kind Rewind," just might be Gondry's most important film to date. It certainly aims the highest. "Box Elder," is not to be missed, seek it out and be delighted. Both films speak to the inherent value of independent, amateur filmmaking, and let's face it, we don't see that message enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment