At a time when film critics are busy compiling lists of the films they fanatically adored or severely detested over the last year, I’m here to point out 5 films where I think the critical masses got it all wrong. These are the five films of 2008 that I believe most critics simply didn’t “get”; possibly because they approached the films with the wrong mindset or because they failed to see the rose a top of the thorns.
So before you omit the following five films from your memory of 2008, or let them float off into the abyss of films you may never see, read on to hear why I think you should consider giving them the chance they deserve.
Rotten Tomatoes Average: 68%
Rotten Tomatoes Consensus:
None is provided. Instead, here is Glen Kenny’s rather conclusive summary:
“Gondry might have been better off keeping his movie on theoretical/slapstick grounds, because, quite frankly, his attempts at sincerity just don’t make it.”
– Glenn Kenny, Premiere.
Synopsis:
A man whose brain becomes magnetized unintentionally destroys every tape in his friend’s video store. In order to satisfy the store’s most loyal renter, an aging woman with signs of dementia, the two men set out to remake the lost films. (IMDB)
Why is it on the list?
It’s hard to truly blame film critics for feeling a bit disappointed by Michael Gondry’s Be Kind Rewind. Expectations can be a disastrous thing. For starters, high hopes automatically arise after the Gondry’s magnificent 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind lamented the director as one of Hollywood’s most promising. Secondly, it doesn’t help that Be Kind Rewind is labelled incorrectly as a comedy. It’s the first thing critics will point out; the film is simply not that funny. Which is true, it really isn’t. But that’s missing the point.
Firstly, there is a fantastic level of creativity injected into this film, mostly seen in each lo-fi remakes Mos Def and Jack Black undertake. The film also manages to tastefully pay homage to the defunct VHS format whilst also rejoicing in the home-made charm of the YouTube generation. Yet the true magic of Be Kind Rewind is firmly within its heartfelt story about a community’s enduring spirit. Prior to Gondry’s film, I had almost forgotten what it was like to walk out of a film completely elated. If only for a moment, it made me want to get to know my neighbour better. It made me want to help the elderly cross the street. It just made me feel – what’s the word – good.
Call me a pessimist, but few film have that effect on me.
If you can approach this film without expecting the greatness of Eternal Sunshine or the comedy event of the year, then there is a lot of heart to Be Kind Rewind that even this cynic can enjoy.
Who else saw the light?
Keith Phipps of The Onion was also drawn in by the giant heart of the film, stating:
“The visual wit, game performances, and overflowing humanity have more than made up for the shortcomings by the time the film finds a final moment that’s simultaneously abrupt and magical.”
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