Fast, Cheap and Out of Control

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control is a thoughtfully composed look at the work of four men and how their lives are poured into what they do. In the beginning, the audience would be hard pressed to imagine how these men and what they do could have anything to do with one another. We start seeing the passion that directs them and the discipline that maintains them. Each man begins speaking, in specific terms, about his interests and how those interests relate to what he does professionally.It didn't take long before the editing delicately overlapped imagery and narration. As this happened, the connections between seemingly unrelated words and images surfaced and began dominating my experience of this film. As the men examined their own respective roles in society, much of what they say of themselves can be said of us all. Their stories become one. The big story is the story of life on Earth right now.I would also like to make special mention of the soundtrack. The music really straddles the line between playful and haunting. It seems to drive the film in a lot of ways and perfectly frames the subjects and their work.The men that are the subject of this documentary are endearing characters that aren't selling us anything. They only want to share with us some aspect of the world that has captured them. I saw this film in the theater and was unprepared; I was moved. This piece is not for everyone. Maybe I'm just easily inspired, maybe this is solid gold. If I'm easily inspired then good for me, if this is solid gold then you really ought to watch it.

I love documentaries and the work of Errol Morris but had not seen this film. It is the first film in which Morris uses his invention, the interrotron which allows his subjects to speak looking directly at the camera. A topiary gardener, a hairless mole-rat specialist, lion tamer, and M.I.T robot builder seem like they wouldn't have anything in common. As this film unfolds, the common thread is revealed. Highly recommended.

Fast, Cheap and Out of Control is an engagingly intertwined documentary of how a topiary gardener, lion tamer, mole rat biologist and robot scientist attempt to interact with and understand the natural world around them. Errol Morris weaves the different stories together, both narratively and visually, in a manner that at first seems chaotic. Ultimately, however, the film makes broad and deep connections between these very different endeavors.Fast, Cheap and Out of Control is often reviewed -- and marketed -- as an examination of eccentrics. While Morris does play up personality quirks, particularly of the two scientists, it is not the central theme of the movie. Perhaps it is the passion that these four men hold for their life work that comes across as so unusual to people

A better documentary never has been made! The editing, alone, makes this one of my top ten films of all time. (My time, at least. I am 71.) Original soundtrack one of the best in all filmdom. A very serious discourse into the meaning of human consciousness, though you might have to watch it several times to catch on to its complex discourse.

In the guise of a movie about four eccentrics with strange jobs, Errol Morris has made a very moving picture about the mark we leave on the world. Each of these four people have four very will have different legacies. It's about why we do what we do, how we came to be doing it and who -- if anyone -- will do it after us? Of course, Morris, by making the movie, is leaving a permanent record, not only of himself, but of these four.

I remember well watching this documentary, when it was first released on VHS. The name of the film, alone, caught my attention. I knew little about the director, Errol Morris, other than that he is a very well-respected documentarian. What's more, the idea of blending the worlds of four distinctive men together into a juxtaposition of stream-of-consciousness imagery, interwoven with interview clips sounded fascinating!Man, how do I begin to break down the "plot" for you? This film follows four distinctive people with four very distinctive professions (a robot scientist, who, incidentally wrote a paper entitled "Fast, Cheap and Out of Control: A Robot Invasion of the Solar System," a naked mole rat scientist, topiary gardener and lion tamer). I must say, the way this story is told, through a trippy combination of black and white and grainy color film, made it more than a little surreal. Also, the professions we get further insight into are more than slightly macabre (particularly, the naked mole rat scientist). While some might call this film something of a "geeky tribute," I would call it more of a conceptual performance art piece--with one-of-a-kind subjects.

Loved this oddball doc. Highly recommended!!! 4 eccentrics who are totally committed to doing their thing. A celebration of humanity!

Prompt delivery and in good condition, which after all are the main requirements of a customer. Good film too. Happy. I liked it so any comment I make on a film is purely personal.