JONJ Does Not Recommend: Be Kind Rewind

We've been talking about ways to expand the blog beyond our usual Jew-y talk, so here's a new feature: JONJ Recommends... or, in this case, JONJ Does Not Recommend. Here, we'll discuss various topics (movies, books, whatever) which... well, you guessed it, we recommend... or do not recommend. And we'll try to tie it back to JONJ somehow... This is JONJ Unplugged after all.



The premise seems terrific: two friends run a video store, all the tapes get erased, and they re-enact the movies themselves. The director, Michel Gondry (Not a Jew) gave us the terrific Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. So, when the DVD was discovered on a Blockbuster shelf, it seemed like a worthy rental. Especially since I had a free rental coupon.

BIG mistake.

Oh sure, the movie re-enactments have their share of funny moments. The problem is... those re-enactments take all of 5 minutes of a 2-hour film. (It might have been less than two hours. I lost track. It was THAT putrid.)

What makes up the other 1:55? Something about urban revival and dead jazz musicians. Mos Def (Not a Jew) "acting" by talking to his shoes. A horribly, horribly miscast Mia Farrow (Not a Jew). Honestly, when the best thing about a movie is a half-interested Jack Black, that says A LOT.

I tried to stay with it. I couldn't. Perhaps at the end there is some kind of a payoff... But I will never know.

Be Kind Rewind? How about Be Kind Eject.

JONJ Rating: ½ / 5.