Fridae

By now, writer-director Michel Gondry has been recognized as something of a genius in the film/MTV world. After making numerous edgy music videos for musicians like Bjork and Massive Attack, Michel went on to direct the extraordinary Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, which completely twisted and upended the romantic genre.

His new and very good film, Be Kind Rewind, is a satisfyingly original effort that begins when Jack Black becomes "magnetized" at a power plant. When he goes to his friend's video store, he unwittingly erases (by the process of demagnetization) all the tapes. Instead of buying new ones, the two men decide to video themselves reenacting some of the most famous films in cinema's history. They rent out these self-made tapes instead, and end up making a bundle...

Quirky, goofy, sweet and idiotic all at once, Be Kind Rewind is ultimately a celebration of the DIY video aesthetics on YouTube, Xtube and other video-sharing spaces. It is also tribute to the power of movies, creativity and, as the Beatles would put it, getting by "with a little help from my friends".

Be Kind Rewind is must-watch for lovers of indie movies, but those who don't like Jack Black may still wish to stay away.