Mud Songs

I’ll probably watch Michel Gondry’s next movie without reading any reviews first, because even when he’s made a ho-hum movie like Be Kind Rewind, it’s still more interesting than 90% of the movies that play at my local multiplex throughout the year. That said, I’m disappointed to say I wasn’t too engaged by this one. Jack Black’s magnetized brain erases all the tapes in a video store. He and his buddy set out to re-shoot all the movies onto the original VHS tapes, which are then rented out to customers. The tapes are a big hit and business starts to boom. It’s good-natured wackiness — and I love the idea of it — but it’s more suited for a short film, not a feature. (The Be Kind Rewind website looks like fun.)

The Science of Sleep is the most fun I’ve had watching a movie is 2007. Written and directed by Michel Gondry, it’s a trip to just sit back and watch the stuff that pours out of this guy’s head. The same goes for the main character of the movie. At least half the movie consists of his dream life where everything is created from clay, yarn, cardboard, cellophane, dried macaroni — the kind of things kids create in art class, but fully animated and interactive. The movie shares much the same look and feel of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which Gondry co-wrote and directed), but leans more towards the comedic side due in large part to the extremely likeable, childish performance by Gael Garica Bernal. Some might think of it as a love story, but it’s more about the exploration of the inner world of a guy who has a lot of growing up to do. Sort of. (The DVD commentary is strange and funny, too.)