Errol Morris' documentary practically redefines the word quirky. A portrait of four individuals whose careers and passions set them far apart from the mainstream, "Fast, Cheap & Out of Control" is a low-concept cinematic essay that seems more like a satirical magazine article than a film, but it manages to work anyway.
Although not a major effort, it is an entertaining and sometimes moving look at people who march to a different drummer.
The film shows four subjects who are passionate about what they do: Dave Hoover, a lion tamer whose hero is the legendary Clyde Beatty; George Mendonca, a topiary gardener who still works by hand; Ray Mendez, whose specialty is the study of the hairless mole rat; and Rodney Brooks, a scientist specializing in robot research. Each is allowed to present, at length, his ideas about his craft and profession while staring directly into the camera in Morris' trademark style.
Their often humorous and sometimes moving comments are enhanced by film footage of their subjects. Visually, the film is enlivened by cinematographer Robert Richardson's eclectic styles, in which he uses various film stocks and formats to create an often hallucinatory effect (much like the work he did for Oliver Stone in "Natural Born Killers" and "JFK").
What makes the film endearing is Morris' uncondescending attitude toward his subjects; he mines the humorous elements of their passions while celebrating their individuality. Although Morris is less successful at unifying the ideas of the film with any grand or serious theme, he manages to find the romance in the sheer obsessiveness of their endeavors.
FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL
Sony Pictures Classics
Director-producer Errol Morris
Co-producers Julia Sheehan,
Mark Lipson, Kathy Trustman
Executive producer Lindsay Law
Director of photography Robert Richardson
Editors Shondra Merrill, Karen Schmeer
Composer Caleb Sampson
Color/stereo
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Although not a major effort, it is an entertaining and sometimes moving look at people who march to a different drummer.
The film shows four subjects who are passionate about what they do: Dave Hoover, a lion tamer whose hero is the legendary Clyde Beatty; George Mendonca, a topiary gardener who still works by hand; Ray Mendez, whose specialty is the study of the hairless mole rat; and Rodney Brooks, a scientist specializing in robot research. Each is allowed to present, at length, his ideas about his craft and profession while staring directly into the camera in Morris' trademark style.
Their often humorous and sometimes moving comments are enhanced by film footage of their subjects. Visually, the film is enlivened by cinematographer Robert Richardson's eclectic styles, in which he uses various film stocks and formats to create an often hallucinatory effect (much like the work he did for Oliver Stone in "Natural Born Killers" and "JFK").
What makes the film endearing is Morris' uncondescending attitude toward his subjects; he mines the humorous elements of their passions while celebrating their individuality. Although Morris is less successful at unifying the ideas of the film with any grand or serious theme, he manages to find the romance in the sheer obsessiveness of their endeavors.
FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL
Sony Pictures Classics
Director-producer Errol Morris
Co-producers Julia Sheehan,
Mark Lipson, Kathy Trustman
Executive producer Lindsay Law
Director of photography Robert Richardson
Editors Shondra Merrill, Karen Schmeer
Composer Caleb Sampson
Color/stereo
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 9/30/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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