Store's new take on old movies

Be Kind Rewind (12A) MICHEL Gondry s best film by far is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and it is surely no coincidence that for that film he had a co-writer in the form of Charlie Kaufmann. For his last film, The Science of Sleep, and now his la

Be Kind Rewind (12A)

MICHEL Gondry's best film by far is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and it is surely no coincidence that for that film he had a co-writer in the form of Charlie Kaufmann.

For his last film, The Science of Sleep, and now his latest, Be Kind Rewind, he is sole writer and there is nobody to rein back his sense of whimsy.

The film tells the story of a downtown video rental shop that resolutely sticks to VHS tapes only. While the owner (Danny Glover) is away trying to save the business, young Mike (Mos Def) is left in charge along with his pal Jerry (Jack Black). The trouble is Jerry has become magnetised by the local power station and accidentally manages to wipe all the tapes in the store. The two have got to do something about it so, with a little help, they set about remaking their own version of films such as Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2 and Driving Miss Daisy

.

Black is even more manic than usual and there are no restraints to hold the fillm together. There are funny moments and it is undeniably different but Gondry, talented as he is, really needs to be more disciplined in his film-making to fulfil his potential.