Review of Zoo

Not what you would expect

Zoo, as a slang short-form in certain circles, is short for zoophile: a term used to describe those who's feelings for humans are slightly edged out by their, uh, love for non-human animals. Yeah. Zoo, as a documentary feature, looks at the case of one man who was killed in rural Washington State in 2005 after having sex with a horse. Though his name is now known, he is referred to in the film only by his pseudonym Mr Hands. Zoo examines the build up to and fall out of his death, which was attacked by media outlets of all stripes from around the world.

Though the scandal of the original news story laid the groundwork for what could have been a wildly exploitive cable TV-style picture, Zoo is done in a way that catches you off guard with its beautiful and gripping retellings. The filmmakers admitted that their goal was to "revive the humanity" of the people involved following the trashy reportage of the incident. Rather than using traditional talking head segments or media segments, director Robinson Devor relies on actor recreations and voice overs from a number of people involved the case, either very directly as Mr Hands colleagues or tangentially when investigating his death. This documentary clearly owes a tremendous debt to Errol Morris, who's influence is obvious in everything from the recreations to the moody soundtrack to the stunning photography.

Though it may not for the squeemish, Zoo is surprisingly tame. The content is decidedly dark, but the film and story are put together so well in every respect that this documentary is sure to surprise a lot of viewers. Zoo has been doing the festival circuit this past year and earning a great deal of praise. Do not let squeamishness keep you away from this terrific documentary.

Aaron.
whatsaninternet.blogspot.com

Posted on 01/14/08 by: Aaron 01:21 AM