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Leave it to White to elevate a perfectly harmless and enjoyable comedy with some half-developed but interesting ideas into a visionary piece of social criticism. And the offhand (unexplained, of course) reference to Haynes is simply another of White's trademark tactics. If he's reviewing a movie he likes, he can never resist taking non-sequitur potshots at something he hates, and if he's reviewing something he hates, he usually can't resist saying how it's not as good as Spielberg.

Saw this tonight and thought it was absolutely wonderful. A celebration of just creating, the intangibility of the qualities of (good) popular films, and of the value of community. I had read some reviews of the film that had issues with its "realism" (particularly with how Jack Black gets magnetized) but they seem to missing the point entirely. Be Kind Rewind itself, particularly in the early frames, is a goof on cult films or serious films that have credibility gaps themselves. The camoflage scene and the backwards letter that takes an unbelievably long time decipher are clear evidence of this. A wondrous, warmhearted film.

Antoine Doinel wrote:Michel Gondry Entertained For Days By New Cardboard Box

The Onion is God.

That's thinking outside the box!

I just watched this last night. It's a very fun movie. Just short of being overly sentimental; it had just the right amount for a feel-good movie. I wish I saw it in the theatre considering the spirit of the story.

Has anyone who watched the theatrical release had a chance to watch the DVD yet? In the DVD production credits, there are credits for "Michel Gondry's Added Train Scene." I'm wondering what that refers to.

Saw this on Monday. I thought the film was also a comment on film as a participatory medium and form of art. I also thought Mos Def was excellent in this film.

I saw it in the theater, and the only train sequence I can remember is the one near the end of the film that was made for the film-within-a-film, so I doubt it was cut from the DVD. Maybe it's for an extra that was left off the didsc for the inevitable special edition that will include all the footage of the sweded films they shot.

Antoine Doinel wrote:I saw it in the theater, and the only train sequence I can remember is the one near the end of the film that was made for the film-within-a-film, so I doubt it was cut from the DVD.

The other train scenes I can think of are within the first fifteen minutes or so with Mike and Mr. Fletcher and a little later with Fletcher and his buddies having a convo about adapting. Just that and what you mention - the crew shooting on the train and the scene being screened.

the inevitable special edition that will include all the footage of the sweded films they shot.

Very likely.

I saw this both in a theater and on DVD and the scene you mention about 15 minutes in was not in the movie when I saw it at the theater. It actually really bothered me since it seemed like it was only there to somehow explain things better. That and the lack of special features, especially when they at least had the material from their web site, is rather frustrating.

I respect Gondry and the film, but I didn't like it personally. It was so messy and overly-creative that it had a minimalist like myself pulling my hair out.

The film has spawned a sweding contest as part of a film festival at the University Of Toronto.