williamahearn

Hey, In all honesty, I tuned into this on hulu.com as a goof. Needed some frivolous divertissement and figured "what can be goofier than a polka band?" Instead, I watched a local tragedy of sorts that involves a rigged Mrs Pennsylvania beauty contest, a crash of a tour bus in Florida and the destruction of an individual who may or may not have it coming. The best stories to me aren't the epics of kings and presidents but of usual lives in difficult situations and this documentary focuses on a Polish immigrant who makes his name in the polka community of Pennsylvania and then branches out. Once nominated for a Grammy in the now defunct Best Polka Album in 1995, Jan Lewan would get involved in selling promissory notes with interest returns not unlike Bernie Medoff. The story doesn't end well and it's a fascinating look at a slice of life most of us have no experience with and probably even less interest in. The American Dream gone bad, I suppose. It's a low-budget documentary and, frankly, the home-made aspect of the film adds to the charm of this bizarre story. At just over an hour, it makes its point without wasting one's time.

Having titled this comment as I did, I have to say that I liked this flick even if I've seen it many, many times before. I'm not crazy about it, just happy it didn't stink. First films should be supported to encourage new talent and Adrien Brody turned in a good -- but not brilliant -- performance. This film -- about a bunch of guys growing up in a small town -- has been done much, much better by Fellini and Levinson to name two. Even so, it seems new directors feel the need to plumb this material again and again. As a result, not a lot can really be expected. "Judy Berlin," another indie film, is also in this genre. "Ten Benny" or "Nothing to Lose" plows already overturned ground but makes a credible case for itself. That's about -- if you can excuse the pun -- the size of it.

William www.williamahearn.com