'Felix of Austria!' DVD: Documentary on Archduke of Modesto

The IndiePix Films June 11, 2019 DVD release of the 2013 documentary "Felix Austria!" continues the grand tradition of non-fiction films that do an excellent job chronicling the lives of equally entertaining and eccentric persons. The wonderful "Grey Gardens" about down-and-out relatives of Jackie O is the granddaddy of these films. "Felix" is more like reality showeque film "The Queen of Versailles" about a family that is equally nouveau and riche until they experience a reversal of fortune.

Additional perspective comes courtesy of the affluent '80s trend of the rich and famous purchasing the titles of less well-off and less-well-known British royals. 

The following YouTube clip of the IndiePix trailer for "Felix" is a well-edited 25-words-or-less synopsis of the film. It essentially tells how Colorado native Brian Scott Pfeifle becomes the titular highly affected Modesto resident.

The life-changer associated with a pre-quarter-life crisis occurs during the college years of Brian. He receives an inherited box of 60 years of correspondence and other material from upstate New York resident Herbert Hinkel. This archive relates to extensive correspondence with Archduke Otto von Hapsburg, who is the heir to the defunct Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

The rest of the story is the Brian has a 50-percent chance of inheriting horrific and fatal Huntington's Disease from his father. Both Brian and Felix wrestle with deciding whether to continue enjoying not-so-blissful ignorance or being tested and potentially discovering an awful truth.

All of this combines to prompt Brian to change his name to Felix and to give himself the royal treatment. His dual quests, each of which independently warrant a documentary, are to learn more about Hinkel and to meet the Archduke. 

The journey upstate has moderate tones of the city-lawyer-turned-country-farmer '60scom "Green Acres." A dandified Felix interacts with the local yokels as he seeks to learn more about Hinkel. The outcome is the thing of which good non-fiction and fiction films are made. Suffice it to say that we see that Felix and Herbert are two peas in a pod. 

We also travel with Felix to Europe where he hopes for a literal royal reception. The outcome there is fully in the spirit of "Felix." 

Letting Felix and his friends and family create good cred. regarding this film that likely does not tell the whole story but presents enough to make us feel that we understand the subject and know how he got to be the man whom he is today.

The rest of the story is that a good film either centers around someone whom the viewer aspires to be, makes you sympathize with that person, or makes the voyeur feel good about himself or herself, Where a "Felix" watcher lands states a great deal about the psyche of that person.