The Efficiency Expert - A Movie Review

Your greatest asset is your people.

The Efficiency Expert is a 1991 Australian comedy-drama film. Errol Wallace, an efficiency expert, shows workers in a moccasin factory how to raise productivity levels. He has to lay off half the factory workers if progress doesn’t change

The Efficiency Expert is a fascinating story that grew on me while watching. Work films are so important, not because of their ethics, but how they enforce the importance of employees. No business can ever survive without its employees.

Anthony Hopkins had quite the year in 1991, starring as the terrifying Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. In this film, Hopkins plays Errol Wallace, a businessman who doesn’t fool around. Hopkins has a distinct way of guiding his characters. Errol’s realization of the employees in the workplace is a humble growth development.

The film includes Ben Mendelsohn, Alwyn Kurts, Bruno Lawrence, Rebecca Ring, Russell Crowe, and the film debut of character actor, Dan Wyllie. Actors bring depth to their roles. Mendelsohn does a good job connecting with his character, Carey, who grapples with his future. Certain characters needed more fleshing out, falling flat in some aspects.

Notably, the film includes the debut of Toni Collette, my favorite actress. She plays Wendy Robinson, a fellow factory worker, and Carey’s friend. Based on how natural Collette is you wouldn’t think it was her first movie. Collette knew how to play this character, delivering a commendable ‘tell-off’ speech.

I had mixed opinions about the story format. The film has various subplots. I am not complaining because additional storylines are a useful technique. In any business, there’s never one story going on.

The younger workers get more screentime, trying to get dates or slacking off. Although it is a film about work, it pays little attention to this subject. By the end, I came to understand what the message was about. Businesses are only successful because of their employees.

My favorite scene is when Errol accepts an invitation to a toy car race with the other employees. Until that point, Errol was focused only on business needs. It didn’t register to him how important employee/co-worker relationships are. As he becomes more involved with the factory workers, he begins to question his job role at the expense of human relationships.

Mark Joffe directed a simplistic film that holds more meaning than you think. The storytelling is gentle, letting audiences get to know the characters. The film’s pacing reflects the balance between an unhurried life and Errol’s urgency to get everything done. Finding our careers takes time which The Efficiency Expert illustrates.

Joffe masterfully blends humor and drama. I liked the subtle comedy touches, like the factory’s name. Errol has a funny reaction when observing the other employees. He has to look at very tiny printing of marketing information in one scene.

Filmed in Melbourne, Australia, the production design for the factory deserves special mention. Workplaces always have distinct features. The factory is large, incorporating antique machinery, storage rooms, and other irrelevant objects. Each character has a different relationship with this business, but it feels like a second home.

The film didn’t achieve significant commercial success when it was first released. It garnered mixed reviews from critics for its story dynamics. It’s a bit slow and takes some time to get to its point.

The Efficiency Expert has a second title, originally released under the name ‘Spotswood.’ Take a look at The Efficiency Expert. It’s a delightful and lighthearted film that offers a poignant reminder of the importance of valuing employees.