JOE :AAJERS

L

Let us bait an introductory hook.

Syrian. Jadzia quickly rebuts
with, "Some difference."
It's a twist of casting, but
given Avital's dark, brooding
good looks and the intensity
the Israeli brings to the role of
Sofie, it works.
The really good news about
Polish Wedding is that it is a lot
like sweet and sour cabbage for
the soul. Both sensual and sen-
sitive, it succeeds in honestly
portraying working-class Pol-
ish-Americans — although
none of the film's leads are
themselves Polish.
Olin, whose brand of earthi-
ness hasn't been seen on the
screen since the young Sophia
Loren, is Swedish; Gabriel
Byrne, playing her husband
Bolek, is Irish; and Claire
Danes, as their firebrand
daughter Hala is, well, Claire
Danes.
This intimate movie works
on a level that is sorely missing
from this summer's block-
Claire Danes plays Hata, following in her moth-
busters. Simply put, the actors
er Jadzia's sensual footsteps.
in it really act. That's not a rad-
ical concept, but it isn't often
dominated domain of the gentiles that
done. And to boot, there's a plot with
was far beyond the Pale.
good dialogue
Having grown up not in Hamtram-
There are no computer-generated
ck, but in the mainly Polish enclave of
explosions or big budget car chases.
Michigan Avenue and 29th Street
Just the drama of real, everyday, bitter-
(where I was the only Jewish pupil in
sweet life.
the entire Newberry Elementary
The movie was filmed in the Ham-
School), I can vouch for many of the
tramck that was, before last year's dev-
subtle touches of reality in the story,
astating tornado. During the street
Duck's Blood Soup included. And that
scenes, I kept searching for any trace
is a well-earned tribute to Connelly.
of the shop names of the many Jewish
At times, it is difficult to believe
merchants who once thrived up and
this is her debut film. If there are any
down Joseph Campau, but whose
awkward moments, they come only
stores now are just a part of local his-
when the cast attempts to play come-
tory.
dy too broadly. And maybe audiences
Other names familiar to Detroiters
will accept that as well.
jump off the screen. Byrne's character,
A word about the title. If you go to
who is a baker, does not read the
see this movie in hopes of viewing an
Detroit dailies, perhaps out of solidari-
actual robust and earthy Polish wed-
ty with the strikers. Instead, he reads
ding, you will be greatly disappointed.
the Hamtramck Citizen. And a Kowal-
There isn't one. But after seeing the
ski sausage logo lovingly gets 15 sec-
movie, you'll realize how well the title
onds of national on-screen fame.
really works for the plot. Polish Wedding
In the press kit for Polish Wedding,
opens in area theaters today
the film's writer and director, Theresa
Connelly, who herself hails from
x:gx:x4x 1/2
Rated PG-13
Hamtramck, describes her hometown
as "a sort of Chagall-esque hamlet."
Her heart was in the right place,
but Connelly, who studied literature at
Excellent
****
Leningrad State University, apparently
Worthy
***
overlooked the fact that the Russian-
Mixed
**
born artist Marc Chagall depicted
Poor
inhabitants of the Jewish shtetls of
Forget It
No Stars
Eastern Europe and not the church-

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