'Love & Mercy' A Review

Love & Mercy is a biographical film about the life and music of Brian Wilson. The story unfolds in two separate interwoven timelines which follow Brian Wilson(Paul Dano) in the 60's during the recording of Pet Sounds and Brian Wilson(John Cusack) during the 80's while he was under the legal guardian ship of abusive psychologist Eugene Landy(Paul Giamatti) and met and fell in love with his second wife Melinda Ledbetter(Elizabeth Banks).

Helmed by two distinct and resonate performances by Dano and Cusack(providing his best turn in years) the film takes you on a immersive, disturbing, and bizarre exploration of two distinct points in Brian Wilson's life. The studio scenes with Dano during the recording of Pet Sounds feel incredibly authentic, shot documentary style on a Super 16 camera, and is one of the most effective portrayals of music and the creation of music on screen. Cusack as the tired, manipulated, overly medicated Wilson has a tougher job but still evokes an eccentric and innocent charm.

Love & Mercy is first and foremost the story of Brian Wilson but it is also a celebration of his music. The soundtrack is superb Beach Boys hits and their more experimental songs weave together a wide ranges of moods which serve as a springboard for the actors. What is most surprising about the film is its darkness. Absolutely no punches are pulled and the emotional journey is draining, at times brutal. But the music and the excellent turns by the actors provide a cathartic if not necessarily pleasurable experience.

Challenging and refreshingly honest.

See It.