Last night I watched Love The Beast, a documentary by actor Eric Bana which is based around his passion for motorsport and his beloved 1974 XB Ford Falcon Coupe.
The film documents Eric’s journey with his first car, an ownership that spans 25 years. More importantly, it tells of the friendship that he has developed with it and how it has been the centre piece that has brought himself and his friends together, time after time. After years of working on the car in his own garage, Eric decides to do a complete rebuild and restoration of The Beast, which he then enters into the 2007 Targa Tasmania Rally, which is one of the most challenging, grueling and possibly most dangerous racing events in Australia.
On the fourth day of competition, whilst taking a corner, tragedy strikes and Eric unfortunately crashes into a group of trees. Whilst both himself and co-driver are fine, The Beast did not come out as lucky, It suffered severe front end and chassis damage. Looking back on the crash, one scene shows Eric just standing there, with an expressionless face. I can only relate to it so much, having being in an accident myself. It really is disheartening experience, especially when you have a strong bond with your car.
The documentary also has cameo appearances from Jay Leno, Jeremy Clarkson and funnily enough Dr. Phil. The first two cameo’s make sense, Jay Leno is a very big enthusiast of things automotive, you simply need to look at his list of cars →. And Jeremy Clarkson, well we all know who he is. Now, when I first saw Dr. Phil was in this documentary I couldn’t help but giggle a bit. My first question was, why is he in this documentary? The reasoning is eventually revealed, Eric tries to seek out understanding and comprehension of his devotion to this car. Whilst speaking with Jeremy Clarkson and Dr. Phil, some interesting points are raised.
I think to truly understand and appreciate what this documentary is about, you need to be a true car enthusiast yourself. I don’t think the general public understand how bonds, friendships and devotion are developed for cars. To us, they are more than just pieces of metal with four wheels that get us from Point A to Point B.
The last scene of the movie was a bit of a teary moment. Eric and his friends got his dads Thunderbird operational again and seeing the huge smile on his fathers face whilst driving the car for the first time in a matter of years was priceless. If you’re a car enthusiast yourself, definitely check out this movie. Take a glimpse of the trailer
Filed in Delayed Movie Reviews