The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks is a fascinating documentary following around the band of the documentary's title, who live in a strange but delightfully whimsical world. Although the documentary has concert footage, it seems much more interested in telling the stories of the band members and their various projects, some of which are not music-based.
Like every good documentary, it leaves you wanting more. I found myself wishing someone would make a documentary exploring the relationship between Wayne Coyne and his wife Michelle, who works as a photographer. She is at the periphery of the film, and I found the two of them more interesting than some of the other issues at play in the film. The film also made me want to see the science fiction movie that the band is shown working on (which, I believe, has since come out.) And now I want to explore Coyne's stomping grounds, the Oklahoma City/Norman area, just in the hope of running into him. Because ultimately, the movie made me want to be a member of this band, which is always the danger of falling in love with music like this.
I feel terrible saying this, but much of the film focuses on drug use. This has become such a cliche in rock docs that I found myself wishing, especially for those involved, that this was a different story.
Overall, the film is a fun look at one of the most experimental bands out there today and for fans it's a must-see.
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