LOVE THE BEAST… Eric Bana’s love letter to his car! by Coop

I’m notoriously down on documentaries. They’re usually preachy, partisan and have an agenda that rubs me the wrong way.

Then there’s “Love the Beast.” I had no idea Eric Bana was obsessed with cars to a point where he had kept his 25 year-old Ford GT Falcon Coupe in pristine working condition since the day he bought it new. If you’re never heard of this car then you must be an American. They never released the Falcon over in the states. However, it is the car used in the first two “Mad Max” films and the reason Bana bought it.

What starts out to be a study on car obsession quickly turns into a drama when Bana totals it in a race and agonizes over whether to bother restoring it or not. As he decides, he gets advice from car aficionado Jay Leno, “Top Gear’s” Jeremy Clarkson and… Dr. Phil McGraw?

It would help to be a car lover if you’re going to look forward to this one, but here’s a trailer that will probably convince you (hey, it worked for me!)…

“Love the Beast” is premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 29 and sure to be a favorite among gear-heads and documentary lovers. If you don’t understand the obsession with this particular model of car, then you’ve probably never seen this…

-Coop