MISSION TO LARS (James Moore, William Spicer). 77 minutes. Opens Friday (October 2). See listings. Rating: NN
It’s possible to do a good thing and still make a really bad documentary about it. It probably happens more often than we realize.
English journalist Kate Spicer and her brother William made Mission To Lars about their quest to help their brother Tom meet Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica.
Tom is 40 years old and has fragile X syndrome, a hereditary condition similar to Down syndrome. He’s been obsessed with the idea of meeting Ulrich for years. To help him do this, the Spicers fly to Las Vegas and rent a mobile home to follow Metallica on the western leg of their 2011 U.S. tour.
Kate arranges access, but the question isn’t whether Ulrich will meet with Tom it’s whether Tom, overwhelmed by the trip and crippled by anxiety at the thought of finally getting his wish, will be able to meet his idol.
That’s the pitch, and with the help of co-director and editor James Moore, the Spicers have made a movie out of it – a relentlessly manipulative, aggressively upbeat movie that can’t let a single moment pass without commenting on its wonderfulness through questionable editorial or musical choices.
The decision to slather Karen O’s All Is Love over a key scene borders on unforgivable. Not only does the moment in question speak for itself, but the soundtrack infantilizes Tom’s quest, and Tom himself.
