There are some very small moments where one might find something of interest in Flying Padre, a small view of a father in a small village farming community who acts as part-time keeper of the peace, and part-time flying enthusiast. But it is not, per-say, for being as a Stanley Kubrick film. It was his second documentary, funded very cheap for an even cheaper profit, but unfortunately seems to be caught in a bind. It would be one thing to get some kind of interview or closer look at this man, but in the profile the only really exciting bits are when he's up in the air (which does contain a few clever shots from right in the plane, ironic for the air-phobic Kubrick). There are staged scenes that are rather, well, silly, like when the Padre sorts out a matter between a little girl and boy. Is it cute, maybe, but it's not really interesting. Another problem, which may be for some more than others considering its very obscure stature, the quality of the picture is bad, and the amateurish style of the staging doesn't help matters. It would be one thing if, like in his last short doc the Seafarers, if there were some more marks to see of him as a filmmaker, or just in general interesting compositions. There isn't much of that here, only in the most minuet moments that pass by very quickly. In short, this is one that was done for hire, on the fly, and is not worth seeing unless you're, like me, a Kubrick die-hard.
Review of Flying Padre
