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By Matt Strachan

 

If the Watergate scandal had been uncovered by the tabloid press, then Carry On Reporting might have walked away with four Oscars on 28th March 1977 instead of All The President’s Men. Similarly, Morris’ most recent documentary Tabloid – a foray into the sensational story of a beauty queen, a Mormon missionary, an abduction and the low-brow media frenzy that followed – is a much more light-hearted, almost absurd, version of his work in recent years.

Crucially the film is just as compelling, and as peppered with Morris hallmarks (Errolisms?) as The Thin Blue Line or The Fog of War - the famous Interrotron is used throughout of course, and the story’s complex web of multiple, differing perspectives is gradually and effortlessly unwound into a few simple singular strands that can’t help but reveal the truth at their core.

The film’s occasional raunchiness (thanks to a half sweet / half dirty old pilot and, inevitably, a tabloid journalist who, between them, can’t stop talking about see-through blouses and spread-eagling), abundant humour and sharp narrative twists all act as entertaining enhancements to the usual Morris mix, but more fundamentally indicate a conscious decision to accommodate the story within its most comfortable register – a ‘perfect fit’ rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

This sure-footed direction of tone can be seen in the bold but complementary work of Morris’ collaborators - John Kusiak’s score delivers a relentless but proportionate pace, Grant Surmi’s smooth edit blends the film’s numerous elements seamlessly, and so on. Ultimately everything serves the documentary’s story and it’s subjects, even the large flashing text that, every so often, juxtaposes what is being said with what is being read – so perfectly tabloid.

In the past Morris has stated that his films broadly break down into politically concerned or completely whacked out, and there’s no doubt that Tabloid falls firmly into the latter category. Recent reports suggest he’s now working on a number of fictional projects, including a story based on actual events about a group of cryonics enthusiasts intent on cheating death – whacked out indeed.

Whether fiction or documentary, completely whacked out or politically concerned, Morris’ films are unique masterworks that make an impact. If anyone could resurrect the Carry On series and go on to win Oscars with it, Errol and his isms would be a pretty safe bet.

Errol Morris, USA 2010, 87 mins

Tabloid was screened as part of the London Film Festival. A UK release date is still TBC. For further information check the Errol Morris website

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