Parents' Guide to Be Kind Rewind

Devotees of eccentric French director Michel Gondry may be slightly disappointed that Rewind isn't the mind-bending masterpiece that 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was for many. But it's still dreamlike in many ways. That people would embrace and participate in silly remakes of blockbuster or cult movies is definitely far-fetched, as is the sense that Passaic is a sleepy urban town that folks get "stuck in," rather than a suburb of New York City. Forgiving the believability of the setting or the circumstances (who runs a VHS-only video store?), the film is, like most of Gondry's work, charming and endearing, with most of the laughs stemming predictably from Black's manic behavior and Def's pitch-perfect straight man work.

Glover, who usually doesn't look like a man in his 60s, is delightful as the store owner who slowly comes to accept and contribute to the new business model of custom movies, even playing Morgan Freeman to smitten neighbor Mia Farrow's Jessica Tandy in a Sweded version of Driving Miss Daisy. And Hollywood newcomer Melonie Diaz (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) is adorable as the guys' go-to actress/director/cinematographer. Like Alma, the film is pleasant and at times moving, while still remaining lighthearted and sweet. Those looking for an introspective treatise on love and life should rewind Gondry's past films, but those open to a funny, less-probing comedy will leave the theater wanting more of the Sweded films.