“Love & Mercy,” the Brian Wilson Beach Boys biopic, is an insightful and effective look at the musical creative process, as we go through brainstorming sessions of songs and see the band (made up of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine) rehearsing.
The movie, which stars Paul Dano as a younger Brian Wilson and John Cusack as an older Brian Wilson, is unsentimental as it takes us through the highs and lows of Brian and the band. At one point, Brian wants to stay home to work on a new song, while his bandmates go to Tokyo to perform. Their father was very demanding and controlling, with high expectations for his sons. Brian was definitely the most introspective of the bunch, a musical genius.
Brian’s first marriage to a woman named Marilyn is when he starts to lose it psychologically. There is a dinner table scene where everyone is eating their food and you can hear the utensils continually hitting the plates. For some reason, this starts to really aggravate Brian and he cannot take it anymore. Brian’s mental instability may have been brought on by his father’s treatment of him and his brothers. Luckily, he was able to achieve redemption later on.
Cusack and in particular Dano give performances filled with depth that resonate. While there might not be much of a physical resemblance between the actors and Brian, they are able to sell you on their portrayals.
It is in ways a sad movie in the Cusack portion. Paul Giamatti plays Brian’s therapist Dr. Eugene Landy, who is quite manipulative and controlling, similar in a sense to Brian’s father. Giamatti, while over the top, gives a good performance that is entertaining. Landy thinks that he knows what is best for Brian, and while Brain may have initially benefited from Landy’s treatment, eventually, the doctor’s methods become too extreme.
Elizabeth Banks as Melinda, Brian’s love interest in the 1980’s section, gives a poignant performance. Before he meets Melinda, who is a persistent and caring Cadillac saleswoman, Brian is really downbeat and depressed, very isolated from the world. She is able to bring him some much needed companionship that he has been sorely lacking. Brian had everything going for him–wealth, fame and success–but he lacked something really meaningful–a caring relationship that would allow him to pursue his true musical creativity. Yet in the end, his struggles were rewarded by finding that special someone.
At one point in the movie, Brian says that he sees the Beach Boys as being in competition with the Beatles. Both were up-and-coming bands in the ‘60’s that felt they had to continually innovate and also appeal to the masses. While a huge commercial success, the Beach Boys had some conflict within. Mike Love and the members who supported his vision only wanted to achieve commercial success and broad appeal, while Brian wanted to achieve the musical creativity of their biggest competition, the Beatles. Eventually, they are able to come together and achieve both.
As well made as the film is, there were some shortcomings. I thought the ending was definitely too abrupt. Also, it might have been better to not have had the flash forward, instead to just tell the story chronologically.
Even for those who are not well-versed with the Beach Boys, and in particular Brian Wilson, likely a younger generation, the film is a strong introduction. With this being the Beach Boys, the music is a big plus. Thankfully, that was not the only thing the movie had going for it.
