Review for Mission To Lars

It will be really difficult to review this film without ruining the ending and so I will say now, if you want to experience this journey firsthand then read the next sentence, click back, go watch and then come back.

This is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.

...
...
...
...
...
...

You back? Great. Now we can both discuss just why this film was so wonderful.

Now, I'm not a fan of Metallica. Not in the slightest. In fact before this documentary I had no knowledge of them in the slightest (apart from the use of their song Enter the Sandman by ECW wrestler The Sandman) and when I read about this documentary I thought it would be one of those ego stroking, how great are this band and how wonderful are their songs.

Not a bit. In fact the band are not even the main focus of the documentary, but by the end of this film it convinced me that the band and Lars Ulrich is one of the nicest people in the whole world.
The story revolves around Tom Spicer, who despite suffering from Fragile X Syndrome (a form of autism) has one dream in life and that is to meet Lars. This is something that he has said over and over again.

His brother William Spicer (who operates the camera for the most part) and sister Kate decide to take him on a journey to America to fulfill this dream. It is here that they find the problems arising. These range from dealing with Tom's symptoms which can often be reclusive and unable to communicate properly to simply refusing to do anything, and also the problems dealing with the backstage politics of the music industry.

Throughout the film, the siblings show their love for each other and despite William and Kate's problems dealing with Tom's condition the bond between the three is strong enough to carry them through all these problems. At times their is an almost Rainman feel to the journey with Tom's need for routine causing problems for all involved and even when they are so close to him meeting Lars these problems arise to almost put a spanner in the works.

But they don't...

Finally, Tom meets Lars and in a wonderful segment (that I thought would be longer) they share a wonderful meeting which involves him showing Tom his drum kit, putting on a private performance and even letting him try out the kit himself. When I think of Lars Ulrich, one of the kings of Thrash Metal, I don't think of him taking the time to talk to a random fan. Instead he proves that images can be deceiving and if I'm honest (as I didn't know what he looked like) in the scene where he came in I didn't think it was him and was expected someone decked in leather and black with crazy hair. Instead, in walks Lars, just a musician who is willing to spend time with someone who sees him as an inspiration and this brief (as I say, I think it is a bit too brief) segment makes the whole documentary worthwhile and leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Mission to Lars is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen and unlike most that dwell on the negative, this seeks out the positive and grabs it with both hands. It is true that unlike some where there are constant setbacks (such as a lot of Nick Broomfield's documentaries) it does feel at times a little too easy, but the journey is still a wonderful one to take. I feel it gives anyone hope that if you have a dream, whether it is to meet a celebrity or achieve a goal that you can do it, no matter what setbacks, whether physical or not get in the way.