Be Kind Rewind

There are times that actors get trapped within movie genres and no matter what they try to do different the only way that the studio, and audience, sees them is in that original genre. Many comedians have tried to breakout into drama, and most of the time it just doesn't work, but when it does it's like they've hit a royal flush in poker. Jack Black has been able to break the mold of a comedian and expand his body of work, from outrageous comedy's like Shallow Hal to dramas like The Holiday he has proven he's more than just a bunch of jokes. Here he teams up with Mos Def who in his own rights has shown his versatility in acting from drama, Something the Lord Made, to action, 16 Blocks, to science fiction, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, with these two multitalented actors in the lead roles we're given a funny, heart-warming story.
When all of the video tapes in a rental store are accidentally erased, Jerry and Mike decide produce their own remakes to keep the store from failing. Director Michel Gondry, best known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The scope of this story ranges from the death of the video cassette, the birth of the DVD era, and the flourishing of independent film making. The acting is stylish and in some cases unexpected for the actor in those roles, with big name stars like Mia Farrow and Danny Glover taking on supporting parts we're shown that they don't need to be in the forefront to make an impact on the story.
From Farrow to Glover, from Def to Black there are times that the characters seem so personable that they remind you of somebody that you know. There are a lot of things that you can walk away from this movie with, but the biggest two are that there are some of your closest friends are like family and family members don't have to be blood related. If you've seen the trailer for this film you might expect a straight forward comedy, but its more drama than comedy. Yet this really doesn't matter, it's an enjoyable film that the whole family can watch, there is some harsh language but the film's not filled with it and the life lessons that you learn are well worth it.