There are very few things in life that bring me as much joy as dark comedies set in quaint small towns, especially when they are based on true stories, and Jack Black plays an individual beloved by the entire community but is soon reviled for his criminal activity. Bernie was somewhat of a shocking revelation in Black’s career, as he had always been talented, but it wasn’t until that film that audiences were able to see the extent of his dramatic talents, even if it was an uproariously hilarious comedy. This year, Black has returned with another equally brilliant performance that may rival that of his role as Bernie Tiede in Bernie, this time playing beloved polka musician and notorious con man Jan Lewan in The Polka King, an outrageous, subversive and brilliant piece of comedy from Maya Forbes (the screenwriter who made her debut with the dramedy Infinitely Polar Bear a few years ago) that serves to be a terrific start to a year I can already feel is going to be a great one for cinema. While it may appear that The Polka King is a standard, forgettable comedic biopic, it is wonderfully acted, superbly written and essentially an all-around entertaining film that tells the absurd and unbelievable, but ultimately truthful, story of an infamous event and the extremely strange man who was responsible for it.

This film is based on a 2009 documentary called The Man Who Would Be Polka King, based on the true story of Jan Lewan. At the outset of the film, we are introduced to Lewan (Jack Black) who lives in the small town of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. He immigrated from his native country of Poland years before, and upon arriving in the United States of America (which he continuously views as the Land of Opportunity, with the American Dream evidently being an extremely prominent motif in this film, driving much of what Lewan believes, often being contradictory to his traditional Catholic values of morality and ethical actions), labours in a series of menial jobs in his pursuit of the promise of fame and fortune, constantly searching for some part of the success he believes he is entitled to. He eventually opens a moderately-successful gift shop that he runs with his wife Marla (Jenny Slate). However, he has a very specific passion that he pursues relentlessly: polka. Over the years, Lewan ascends to be known as The Polka King, going from a highly-popular entertainer in his small community to a nation-wide (and if the true story that this film is based on is to be trusted, a worldwide) sensation, earning a Grammy nomination and consistently touring. However, despite his success, he never makes enough money to actually support his lavish spending, and instead takes money from his fans in the guise of investments, claiming a 12% (later a hefty 20%) return, which would seduce even the most frugal individual. The Polka King begins to build an empire, but on illegal, immoral deception, and very soon, the flimsy walls of his kingdom begin to crumble, and Lewan is placed in the unenviable position of having (initially unintentionally) running a Ponzi scheme, and he is destined to atone for his sins.

For decades, Jack Black has been one of the most endearing entertainers, working across medium and genre to position himself as one of the most reliable and relatable performers of his generation. While he has been in his fair amount of misfires and tragic missteps, he has (for the most part) been able to elevate even the most dull and lifeless film into something special through his unique charms and undeniable talent. He has also shown himself to be extremely capable of performances that aren’t outright dramatic (even if his performances in more dramatic fare such as King Kong and Margot at the Wedding show an actor who doesn’t necessarily need to rely on comedy to give a great performance), but also have something deeper in terms of their personification. As mentioned previously, his performance in Richard Linklater’s Bernie showed Black’s terrific capabilities to play against type, yet still allowing him to make use of his terrific ability at playing endearing oddballs who are not particularly admirable, but are still strangely adorable. Very few actors could have played Lewan as effectively as Black, and based on the real-life footage at the end of the film, Black managed to capture Lewan’s unique personality and quirks perfectly. Lovable without being heroic, and quite simply an idiot that everyone adores, Black sells the film perfectly and manages to convey the strange nature of the true story with his committed performance. Black dances, sings and puts on an accent, and gives one of his most remarkable performances to date, and one he was clearly having fun with. Don’t let the broad comedic nature of this film deter you from noting that The Polka King features Black giving one of his very best performances, and one that is far more complex and nuanced than it initially appears to be.

However, beyond Black’s wonderful and dedicated portrayal of Lewan, The Polka King has some wonderful performances from the rest of the cast. One particular highlight is Jenny Slate, a comedic actress who has shown promise since her days on Saturday Night Live (a show from which she was unfairly dismissed after an accidental incident of cursing on the show), and in spite of her somewhat tragic removal from comedy’s highest institution, he has had her retribution in independent cinema, lending her terrific talents to films such as Obvious Child and Landline (both hailing from Gillian Robespierre, who I fully expect to become a definitive voice in cinema in the next few years). In The Polka King, Slate gives a performance that exceeds the expectations of just being a supportive wife – she is a scene-stealer, constantly having moments of tenderness when her ambitions to be something bigger than the wife of The Polka King become clear. Slate is one of the rare actresses who has chemistry with nearly everyone she acts across from, and she is going to have her breakthrough very soon, and she certainly has the talents to warrant becoming a household name. Jacki Weaver continues to be one of the most reliable character actresses working today, playing the bitter and nasty Barb, the cynical mother-in-law of Jan who sees him as a dismal failure (and perhaps is the most honest character in the entire film). Jason Schwartzman, who I have never hidden my admiration for, is great at playing against-type here, playing Lewan’s best friend who believes himself to be a lot more suave and debonair than he actually is. The Polka King has a great cast, all of which give tremendous performances and contribute to the absurd and ridiculously wonderful story of Jan Lewan.

The Polka King manages to be almost theatrical in execution, being a tragicomic retelling of the life of its subject matter. Forbes and her husband Wallace Wolodarsky (who has worked on many great television shows and written some wonderful films) clearly intended to make The Polka King as subversive as possible without making it entirely unbelievable. There is a certain dignified absurdity of this film that allows it to be outrageous and hilarious, but never once allows it to veer into the territory of the implausible. Part of it was the cast, who manage to find the perfect balance between uproarious eccentricity and realistic pathos and genuine empathy, but the most significant reason behind the success of The Polka King is because Forbes and Wolodarsky cared about this story. There is nothing more terrific than seeing a filmmaker craft their film out of genuine fascination. They were not attempting to make a crowd-pleasing comedy (and there are far easier films to make than a film about Jan Lewan), but rather a film that tells an interesting story, and one that the writers were clearly intrigued by. Forbes keeps this film firmly grounded in reality (with a few excursions into surrealism, such as the unique training montage Marla underdoes in her training for the Miss Pennsylvania pageant) while allowing the story to speak for itself. It is truthful and straightforward, and it did not need to be anything more, as Jan Lewan and his extraordinarily odd story is odd enough to make a brilliant film that keeps the audience captivated.

In all honesty, The Polka King is a comedy film that may not appear to have much to speak about, being straightforward in its approach to telling the story of Lewan without much unnecessary fanfare or cinematic flair. It may be easy to mistake it for a standard comedy, not having much below the surface, despite its entertaining nature. However, The Polka King is far from being superficial, and it manages to not only be a scathing indictment on the notorious figure at its core, but also a commentary on matters far greater than the humble criminal career of Jan Lewan. In essence, The Polka King is not only about Lewan’s scheme that built an empire, but also a meditation on the concept of the American Dream, which (as I mentioned previously) is a recurring theme in the film. Lewan, despite being a criminal, is portrayed in a somewhat sympathetic light and is shown to be someone who set out into a foreign land to make a name for himself and benefit off the possibilities that the glimmering free market of the United States of America lays claim to offer. Perhaps I am reading too much into this film, and it may be just a straightforward comedy, but I found something profoundly meaningful about The Polka King, finding the way it comments on the broken promises of the American dream absolutely wonderful and often scathingly precise and accurate. This film does not excuse Jan Lewan’s actions, and it honestly portrays him as a bit of a buffoon, but it also makes sure to note that he was a victim to a harsh economic system that rewards greed and excess, as long as some form of hard work went into it. It also ultimately shows the tragedy of the true story, because even though Lewan was imprisoned and forced to atone for his sins, his actions have repercussions, and unfortunately, his victims never did get what they were promised, even if justice was served. The Polka King is a hilarious film, but one that doesn’t attempt to conceal the cracks of capitalism.

If I had to market The Polka King in one sentence, it would be “come for Jack Black’s singing-and-dancing antics, stay for the crushing indictment against the failures of the American Dream and the broken promises of the capitalist project”, and that certainly is what I found most fascinating about this film. The Polka King may appear to be nothing remarkable – it’s easy to see it as another mindless comedy with Jack Black playing an eccentric character. However, as I’ve mentioned before, it is a film with extremely poignant nuances, and underneath its outrageous and hilarious surface, it is a meaningful meditation on the prospects of success that many immigrants feel. It isn’t a sympathetic portrayal of Jan Lewan, but it also avoids demonizing him. It shows him as both a greedy individual who loves excess who was tragically manipulated and eventually betrayed by the same system that seemed so promising to him. There may be some element of exerting my own non-cinematic interests here, as well as reading a bit too much into the story, but The Polka King clearly has something meaningful to say, and it does so through the guise of a tremendously funny and brilliantly-made comedy film that has a magnificent cast, a strong story and the right balance between tragic realism and off-the-wall absurdity. Certainly a fantastic film, and one that shows that Maya Forbes is definitely a filmmaker to watch out for. The Polka King may not redefine cinema, but it certainly is a film far more nuanced, complex and wonderful than it appears to be.