Theroux seems to enjoy taking on the challenge in his BBC2 documentary Law and Chaos in Philadelphia. Adorable, slender Theroux jumps in and out of police cars and is pushed to the front lines by rapid deployment teams. “My first thought was, if I’m going to be killed, it’s not because I’m going to be shot or robbed, it’s because I’m going to die in a car accident,” he said. “The police are incredible as they run red lights, drive the wrong way on a one-way street, drive in the middle of the road in heavy traffic, and dodge other vehicles.”
This new documentary is undoubtedly his riskiest undertaking yet. The BBC’s safety guidelines meant he had to wear a bulletproof vest so thick he couldn’t even wear a seat belt. But the production team’s restraint can’t be blamed, as Philadelphia is home to an estimated 400 homicides, more than 10,000 aggravated assaults and nearly 40,000 burglaries each year.
On the other hand, it can be argued that Theroux’s style can be dangerous at times, because it can easily backfire. In a seemingly innocent, almost childlike way, he bluntly asks questions that other journalists might want to ask but are afraid to ask. Critics accused him of feigning naivety and instilling a false sense of security in his subjects. But he said his approach was not cynical.
“I just believe that people will believe their word, and I tend to believe people,” he said. “Maybe I’m a little naive or too trusting, because I’m shocked when someone lies to me. But I think it’s polite to take someone’s word for it.” A trusting interview style helps him gain more information from rival criminals than his dynamic, macho peers like Ross Kemp and Donal MacIntyre. The new movie may not be quite as whimsical as those that made it famous, but Theroux once again manages to expose audiences to a strange world.
