East Side Story

Don't go renting "East Side Story" because you want an insightful portrait of life in Communist countries through their musicals. Don't go renting it if you want a detailed technical study of the musical from an unusual point of view. Don't, by all means, go renting it if you want to cry over the poignancy of the worker's hardships manifested by singing. Do, however, rent it if you want to point at the TV and laugh "Ha ha! Dancing Communists! Ha ha ha!"

Not to knock dancing Communists. Certainly "East Side Story" is a rollicking good time, but nothing more than that - this is no "Bowling for Columbine," certainly. The narration is insipid, and the interviews are of varying quality, but the clips from the musicals and the simply funny premise make this a recreational documentary that, by all means, go and check out if you've nothing meaningful to do.