After string of flops, Jack Black looks to get back on track

By Frank Visco
Collegian Editor
September 26, 2007

After reaching the peak of his stardom and gaining serious respectability with School of Rock, Jack Black has hit on some rough times. Over the last four years, he’s had just two box-office hits and hasn’t really been received well in any films critically. Clearly this is a critical time for the comedian, and, to his credit, he’s about to appear in two of the most interesting films of his career, with two of the hottest young directors around.

The first of these two, Margot at the Wedding, is set to hit theaters Nov. 16. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, the film revolves around Margot (Nicole Kidman), who, along with her son Claude, visits her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) upon discovering Pauline is preparing to marry Malcolm (Black), a man of whom she doesn’t think much. The visit prompts family secrets to emerge and things get all out of whack until, assumedly, some sort of catharsis is reached.

With the high-profile cast and Baumbach at the helm, the film has a pretty high profile. Kidman and Leigh are great actresses, and could help Black elevate his game, and Baumbach has a pretty good streak going. Although it didn’t sit well with everyone, .The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. (he co-wrote it) has a deft comic edge and has aged extremely well, while The Squid and the Whale, which he wrote and directed, was a great little film, chock full of richly written roles.

Although it won’t be a breakout blockbuster hit, it seems positioned to go over with the independent crowd and potentially cross over and get a degree of mainstream success. Still, the hope on Black’s end seems to be getting the good critical notices he’s been grasping for (but failing to achieve) over the last few years, with films like King Kong and The Holiday.

Early indications are that the film will split critics and audiences alike. Jeffrey Wells of hollywood-elsewhere.com has referred to the film as the “gnarliest ensemble piece of the 21st century,” calling it bold in its depiction of self-absorbed characters and its lack of concern for audience engagement. That alone is cause to believe many will be turned off, while those more inclined to like quirky movies that don’t offer answers will love it. Early buzz is also mixed on Black. Some are calling him a revelation, while others are saying its just the same old routine in a more prestigious film.

Either way, this film is a must-see. Baumbach proved he could do a lot with familial problems in The Squid and the Whale, another film with amazingly deplorable characters. Regardless of what happens, early word implies one thing is clear: Black’s naked rear end makes a cameo appearance in the film.

Be Kind Rewind, Black’s second upcoming film, is one of my most anticipated films of 2008. Written and directed by Michel Gondry, the film, which comes out in January, focuses on Jerry (Black), who, when his brain becomes magnetized, erases all the tapes in the video store where he and his friend Mike (Mos Def) work. To replace the tapes, the two friends begin remaking the lost films, including Ghostbusters, Robocop and The Lion King. Eventually the horrible 20-minute knockoffs become a big success and the Man challenges the protagonist.

There’s a lot of mixed word on this film. It’s too early to really tell what sort of film this become, but so far, early screenings have produced mixed results. Aintitcool.com has several reviews of early prints posted, one being mostly positive, the other mostly negative. Both seem to agree that the way in which Black and Def remake the films is hilarious (as the film’s dynamite trailer indicates). However, there is some talk that the story is muddled and confusing. Only time will tell what this movie becomes.

Still, one has to have faith in the film. Gondry made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is, in my opinion, one of the best films ever, and his other two big-profile narrative-films, The Science of Sleep and Human Nature, were both interesting, above-average comedies (especially Sleep). However, in both those films, Gondry did show a tendency to run off the rails, which makes sense considering Gondry-like stories all too a careful line between brilliant and ridiculous. Nevertheless, with the great teaming of Black and Def in a quirky Gondry film, it’s hard not to get pumped for Be Kind Rewind.

Outside of these two films, Black has several others on the horizon. Some (i.e. Kung Fu Panda, Ye Olde Times) look like they could be low-rent efforts, but you never know. However, he’s also got Tropic Thunder, a comedy about actors in a war movie winding up in real live combat, with Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller. The film is directed by Stiller, who’s proven to be an interesting comedy director—his last directorial outing was the hilariously outrageous Zoolander—so that’s a plus.

Clearly, Black’s trying to stretch himself and make interesting films for a variety of audiences. With two interesting movies arriving in theaters over the next four months, here’s hoping Black reclaims his critical appeal, so that he keeps getting opportunities to bring his unique persona to directors and scripts that can truly utilize it.

viscof1@lasalle.edu