I’d like to begin this post by thanking everyone who took
the time to read my first article in my return to writing. I had a lot more
views than I ever anticipated (like… a lot more). I feel like this next post
gives me an excuse to write a lot more than just jotting down whatever pops
into my head every few weeks and because of that, I am excited. So allow me to
introduce a new series: Netflix Reviews.
Netflix has reached a point where it is pumping out a gross
amount of original content every few weeks. And while the streaming service has
had a pretty good track record of watchable shows and movies, the sheer number
of new things popping up on my queue tells me that, statistically, they can’t
all be good. So as your Watch List grows ever longer and you start to question
whether you should even waste your time on the next item, allow me to do a
little bit of the work for you. I’ll begin with a movie that intrigued me since
I first saw the trailer a few weeks ago: The Polka King.
This movie tells the real-life story of Jan Lewan, a Polish immigrant who became
famous for his polka music and a widely publicized Ponzi scheme. Jack Black
takes on the role of Lewan and his co-stars include Jenny Slate (who I remember
best from Kroll Show and a short
stint on SNL) and Jason Schwartzman
(famous for Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom, and many other Wes
Anderson films). The film is director Maya Forbes’ sophomore effort having only
previously directed 2014’s Infinitely Polar
Bear.
The movie begins in 1980’s small town Pennsylvania. Jan
Lewan (pronounced several different ways throughout the film) is new to the
country and is the model of hard work. He works as a janitor, dish washer,
delivery driver, and eventually owns his own gift shop. Jan meets Mickey (Schwartzman),
a talented musician, and the two begin a polka band that plays largely for
small, elderly crowds. Jan also meets his wife, Marla (Slate), a former beauty
queen who truly loves and believes in her husband’s ability to build a polka empire.
When Jan’s band members threaten to quit over a lack of a livable wage, he
begins illegally taking investments from his elderly fans to help fund his
tours. For the next five years, Jan
builds his empire with the intentions of paying everyone back for what amount
to millions of dollars in fraudulent funds. From there, the film snowballs into
a series of lies and bad decision making.
Here is where in any other review, I might take a look at
plot, story and character development, ect… But it’s kind of hard to do that
when the story is based on something that actually happened. I’ll just say this
about the story: it’s basically a less intense Wolf of Wall Street. But whereas Jordan Belfort is not someone to
be admired, I actually really liked Jan Lewan, at least for a while. This character
means well for his family and doesn’t think of his victims as morons. Instead,
he is a God-fearing Christian who more or less stumbles into a Ponzi scheme. That’s
how it starts out. Throughout the film, Jan’s true colors start to show with
him bribing people, lying to his family, friends, and fans, and greedily taking
more money than he initially needs. By the end, we are left with a character
who is loveable and despicable at the same time. Without giving anything away,
I did end up liking Jan Lewan, but it was a bumpy road to say the least. Again,
it is hard to tell if the filmmakers intended this, or if that is just the
nature of knowing the story of the real man.
The strong suit of this film comes from the actors. While it’s
not Jack Black’s strongest performance, he is by no means the bumbling clown
that can sometimes turn audiences away from him. He does the entire film with
an accent and to be honest, I don’t know enough Polish people to tell if it was
good. It WAS European and will satisfy any audience member who isn’t directly from
Warsaw. Shwartzman also is about as serviceable as he’s ever been with nothing
for me to complain about, but nothing that stands out either. The true hat-tip
goes to Jenny Slate whose performance had me sympathizing with her character
the most. Not to mention, she never tries to out-goof Black and still manages
to be one of, if not, the funniest parts of the film. Also a big nod to Jacki
Weaver who play’s Marla’s distrustful mother.
The music was another positive, which in a movie titled The Polka King, I should expect. Polka
is, of course, not for everyone but some of my favorite moments from the film
come when Jack Black is belting with a large band behind him.
I’d say the biggest issue with the film is that it in no way
stands out. I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s basically a less intense Wolf of Wall Street. The fact of the
matter is, this movie has been done so many times before and it’s been done
much better. I admittedly have never seen Forbes’ first film and the only other
familiar work on her IMDB page is a writing credit for Monsters vs. Aliens, so I have no real way of saying that she can
do better as a filmmaker. Being based around a polka musician may be enough to
get me to watch this movie, but it isn’t enough to make it shine. There isn’t
anything risky about the shots, dialogue, or structure. On reflection, very few
scenes stand out and if they do, it’s because of an actor taking a “good, but
not great” script and making it their own.
Overall, the movie just falls flat. I didn’t feel bored at
any point, nor did I feel wowed. I feel like an opportunity was missed with Jan
Lewan’s story. It’s worth telling and if he is such a unique character in that
he is stealing millions from the innocent, but you don’t really hate him for it. But lackluster direction leaves this movie
somewhat forgettable. If you have an hour and a half to kill, there are worse
ways to spend it, but put it on the backburner if here is something critically
acclaimed that you have yet to watch.
I give The Polka King: 6 out of 10
If you have anything on Netflix you want me to review, leave
a comment and I’ll move it up on my queue! Thank you again for reading and I’ll
have another review up soon!
