Being a child of the 80’s, I knew the Beach Boys music mostly through their singles. Enjoyable “surfer” music that I today associate with my childhood friend’s dad, who seemed to love them more than any band on Earth. The 80’s didn’t see much new popularity for them, so they never entered my music catalog as a kid or now as an adult. Beach Boys was from my parents era, often overshadowed by The Beatles (who were their biggest competition). Love & Mercy is a movie about Brian Wilson, one of the 4 members of The Beach Boys that is widely considered the keystone of the band.
When Love & Mercy was first shown, it got high critical praise for good reason. I knew next to nothing about The Beach Boys and even less about Brian, so the whole story was completely new to me.
Brian Wilson is a true musical genius. He hears the music in his head and goes through incredible lengths to get it out for everyone to hear. He could spend months perfecting one song in the studio at a time. His entire life revolves around music and as such, his blessing is as much as a curse. An abusive father pulled at Brian and his brothers from childhood all the way up to their fathers death. Brian’s musical obsession makes his mind work very differently than others and compounded with mental illness, a lot of pain came his way. Stressed and broken person relationships, deep depression and a shady therapist who did not have his best interests in mind almost ended his life prematurely (how many movies has Paul Giamatti played a creep now? Denzel Washington:Cops::Paul Giamatti:scumbag).
For all the pain, Brian did manage to find his way out and manage to keep moving forward. With positive people and his passion for music, Brian Wilson, his two brothers, Dennis and Carl, their cousin Mke Love and friend Al Jardine will forever be remembered as one of America’s biggest and best rock bands. They are our Beatles.
The most interesting choice in Love & Mercy is Paul Dano and John Cusack playing Brian in the 60’s and 80’s respectively. You’d think this would be really jarring as the movie jumps back and forth between times frequently, but it works (there is some archival footage of the real Brian too). Both are fantastic actors and represent the man well. Their mannerisms also match, which makes them seem like the same person despite looking different. The twenty-year gap in their presence is also aided greatly by the superb production design with appropriate clothing, architecture and material possessions on display. There is never a question on when you are in the story no matter who is on screen. I’m most impressed with Paul Dano, I think this is far and away his best work to date. There’s a certain kind humanity he captures and it’s fascinating to watch him go through the highs and lows of Brian’s trying life.
Could Elizabeth Banks be doing any better? The woman has been on fire for the past few years and her role as Melinda Ledbetter (his now wife that helped save his life from horrific darkness) is tantamount to how amazing she is. I’ve been a fan of hers before this, but her work as this strong and understanding woman has put her over the top for me. She’s in the 80’s portion of the tale and it’s amazing how well she pulls off that fashion. It’s really easy to make giant belts and shoulder pads seem really corny now, but it never becomes a distraction (a credit to the costume designer as much as Banks herself).
Since this movie is so much about music, you’d expect a certain quality of soundtrack. Atticus Ross knocks it out of the park. Far more than simply laying down The Beach Boys Greatest hits, he takes the stems of their music, as heard in Brian’s mind (as it’s been described anyway), and brings it out to the viewer. It’s like listening to a caleidoscope.
Love & Mercy is one of the best biopics I think I’ve ever seen. You can know nothing about the Wilson’s, be completely dismissive of their music, and still be blown away. A compelling story of success and pain artfully told, I recommend this to everyone.
