I just saw Michael Gondry’s new movie, Be Kind Rewind, on opening night at the Balboa in San Francisco. Mick LeSalle for The Chronicle got it all wrong. It’s a mess of a movie, sure, but a wonderful mess of a movie, a tribute to movie-making, a nod to some of the wacky greats of all time–Ghostbusters, Rush Hour Two, Robocop. Something of a love note to Fats Waller as well. The movie starts off with Jack Black being his usual hilarious self, takes some absurd turns, and ends on a feel-good, bittersweet note, with a Woody Allen b&w days feel, complete with Mia Farrow smiling angelically in low light. Be Kind Rewind is a film about community and creativity, and about how the best art is sometimes very flawed.

Sure, the plot is disjointed. Okay, so Jack Black’s magnetic powers suddenly and inexplicably evaporate during a urination scene about a third of the way through. But I don’t care. I still think it’s wonderful. The sound track is delightful. And the folks at Websters’ get a new word to argue over: Swede (used as a verb). It may not make it into the dictionary, but I bet it won’t take long for it to make it into the popular lexicon.

Go to the website to Swede Yourself. And if, after reading this review, you still have reservations about shelling out a few bucks for the movie, remember that Michael Gondry is the guy who brought you Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. While Be Kind Rewind might lack the depth of Eternal Sunshine, it has all of the heart. If you’re in San Francisco, see it at the Balboa, which is exactly the sort of place a film like this ought to be viewed (and where the audience seemed particularly appreciative tonight.) And then, a few months from now, when it’s available on DVD, grab a projector, a sheet, and a good bottle of scotch, and watch show the movie outdoors, on the side of a building, with a few dozen of your closest friends.