To some, it's a musical punchline. To others, it's the ultimate symbol of cool. The ukulele, that tiny instrument with the smaller sound, is the symbol of an entire underground, a weapon of pride for loners and geeks, the arty and the kitschy, punk rockers and retro girls.

The ukulele subculture is the subject of Sean Anderson and William Preston Robertson's 2003 documentary "Rock That Uke," which finds the instrument acting as a defining object in the lives of its interviewees. Here are musicians that carry the ukulele as a means of standing out, of refusing not to fit in.

There are some, like the performance artist who's interviewed while wearing a cow suit (he also wears the costume on stage), who view the uke as a symbol of theartifacting gets in the way of the transfer.) The soundtrack is a simple Dolby mono, which would seem like a horrible choice in any other music-based documentary, but not here. The mono track is never tinny or problematic, and the music comes through surprisingly well. No subtitles are offered.

Extras

Bios are included for all of the artists featured in the film. These artists also shine in full-length performances of their songs, 80 minutes in all; a few tunes not heard in the movie are also included.

Final Thoughts

Charming and informative, "Rock That Uke" is certainly Recommended to anyone with an interest in the underground music scene.