Schultze Gets The Blues
(Paramount)

This sweet little film comes to us from Germany and is a reminder that it’s never too late to find inspiration in one’s life. When Herr Schultze and his two friends take an early retirement from working in the local mines, they’re at a loss for how to spend their afternoons. Their days seem boring and drab and lack purpose or direction. One evening before going to bed, Schultze hears Zydeco music on his radio and something clicks. An amateur accordion player, he, like his father before him, has performed traditional polkas for the town’s annual music festival, but these new sounds light a spark somewhere deep inside his soul. When their sister city in Texas invites a member of the group to come to America and perform at their local festival, Schultze is given the ticket as a birthday gift. Before long he’s navigating a small boat through the bayous of Louisiana in search of the culture that produced the music he’s fallen in love with. It’s a simple tale and the pace can be practically glacial at times, but the film is never less than charming and ultimately bittersweet. - David Bassin