Brabham

There are some really wonderful folk interviewed here, but you'll never hear them speak more than 10 words before your cut away to something else.. ..and you'll never get to see them ponder a question. This documentary has almost epilepsy triggering editing. I feel it's made for US audiences, where if a scene lasts more than 3 seconds it's too long, as that's all the director thinks the viewers attention span can handle. This is a subject that is well worth covering. But that Mr Brabhams story is covered like a music video aimed at sugar loaded teens is a tragedy.

Jack Brabham was a great Australian sportsman and often forgotten as our tennis players and Olympians take Centre stage. I was so looking forward to this tribute to Jack but the viewers and Jack have been let down. So much wonderful footage that is flicked on the screen for short amounts of time or shown on a very small old style TV set in an lounge room. Then we have Grayson Perry giving social commentary and lots of clips of Paul Newman. What's going on? Another disappointing thing was when they interviewed Brabhams collaborator ,Ron Tauranac. Ron then went on to get praise from others. We then flick to Jackie Stewart who couldn't remember Ron's name. Might have happened but was totally unnecessary to keep in the film and so disrespectful. Hopefully someone else will come up with a decent tribute!

I was hoping for so much more following on the heals of the recent Maclaren and Senna documentaries but this was a very poor attempt at a documentary of a racing ledged. The editing was very poor with constant scenes of a burning barn and tv's in a field. I really could not understand how any of that related to telling the story of J. Brabham. The edits were super fast maybe to appeal to a younger audience but then what younger audiences would appreciate a documentary on Jack? More time should have been spent on Jack as a driver that accomplished so much in his career - 3 time world champion is no small accomplishment but this film is a very poor representation of this amazing achievement.

I was really looking forward to this documentary and settled in to watch it but it soon became clear it was going to be hard and tedious watch. I don't the makers quite knew which direction they wanted to take with it so we end up with a mash of clips and styles that just doesn't work. We get animated cartoon segments, clips of Paul Newman talking not about Jack but racing in general and quite possibly the saddest part are the pieces featuring the very elderly Ron Tauranac, John Surtess and Stirling Moss (the latter seems completely confused about what is going on and is only there to tell us his name and that he drove all types of cars in all types of races). I don't know if it was the directors intent to show these fine gentlemen in their worst light but they all look moments away from death. There are clips of Jack and others racing but most of these are shown on a tiny Tv screen in the middle of the screen that makes it practically impossible to tell what is going on. Then to round it all off are all the nonsense ramblings of whoever Grayson Perry. It is never shown what his connection is with Jack or even with motorsport. I did google the guy and it just says he does weird art and likes to cross dress, is there anybody alive less qualifified to talk about Jack Brabham. If you don't mind sitting through a rambling mess then give it go but if you want to see how a documentary should be done about a racing giant then watch the McLaren one instead. Truly awful and depressing watch.

source: Brabham

Trailer—Brabham

Brabham