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George, Dave, Ray, and Rodney. Not a singing group, but four real-life individuals dedicated to controlling the entities that don't take kindly to their efforts. George Mendonca is a topiary gardener who spends his time taming tendrils of plant life into animal shapes. Why? Because he can, and apparently it's no easy job. One slip of the clipper and a green and leafy body part can go bye-bye for years. Dave Hoover takes on big cats under the big top. An admirer of the famous lion tamer, Clyde Beatty, Dave comes out of the lion ring covered with sweat. Not from working hard, but from hand-trembling fear. Ray Mendez, a mole-rat expert, waxes eloquently about the social structure of these sightless, hairless natural wonders who wear their teeth on the outside of their lips. But if you want to see a real wacko at work, watch Rodney Brooks, a robotics expert who is convinced our extinction will be the first step in a takeover of tin men.
In Fast, Cheap & Out of Control, documentarian Errol Morris proves that the weird and obscure are just as interesting as the rich and famous. Morris tries to add depth to his subjects with his out-of-control editing technique, which after a while becomes an annoying distraction; these guys are fascinating enough all by themselves. The blare of the background music is also a bit much. Despite these shortcomings, though, if you like taking a voyeuristic peek into other people's lives, Fast, Cheap & Out of Control gives you plenty to look at. --Luanne Brown
Review
Not the study of loose women or binge drug users one might expect from the title, Fast, Cheap & Out of Control is an engaging, if meandering, take on four quirky men whose unconventional jobs are their lives. Their earnest devotion is priceless, and acclaimed documentarist Errol Morris captures them at work with all manner of loving camerawork. Especially ethereal in its beauty are the shots of George Mendo sculpting the shrubs with his hedge clippers, which covers for the fact that he's the most reticent of the four subjects. The others more than make up for it with their eager, enlightening job descriptions, which the images flesh out expertly. Even at a scant 80 minutes, however, the film feels a little long because of its lack of forward momentum. Morris intercuts the scenes with great fluidity, but without identifiable purpose. Fast, Cheap & Out of Control also feels a little self-important when it tries too hard to suggest a connection between the four jobs and a framing device of circus footage, which looks nice but doesn't seem to amplify the themes. Still, these are minor quibbles; the dominant impression of Fast, Cheap & Out of Control is of stylish documentary filmmaking that reflects outside-the-box thinking. One can sense the kinship Morris feels for his subjects, since he himself is at the top of his own unique craft. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
