Schmelvis

A Jewish impersonator, a rabbi, and a film crew walk into Graceland… If that sounds funny, Schmelvis may be your documentary. The aforementioned group of Canadian Jews travel to the American South in a Winnebago in search of Elvis' supposed Jewish roots, looking for a deep vein of anti-Semitism just waiting to be scratched by a gang of Seinfeld wannabes. But what if no one cares if the King was maybe one of the chosen people, or if New York Jews want Elvis reburied in a Jewish cemetery up north? Eventually, the Canadians acknowledge their stereotypical thinking regarding dumb rednecks, but this lesson in tolerance is too little, too late to save this tepid comic documentary, which ultimately travels from Memphis to Israel, where maybe the King is working at a kibbutz (hint: he isn't). Questionable conceits aside—just because rabid fans have turned Elvis into a modern saint doesn't make him “the most Christian of all pop icons”—this lazily self-indulgent meandering quest of a film, which has been making the festival rounds since 2002, barely registers as a lukewarm tribute to Elvis' enduring legacy. DVD extras include an audio commentary with producer Evan Beloff and Rabbi Reuben Poupko. Not recommended. Aud: P. (M. Johanson)