Year: 2014
Director: Bill Pohlad
Though it’s been out for at least 6 months, it seems the Brian Wilson bio-pic ‘Love and Mercy’ has only now reached Australia, or at any rate, just reached me.
Bio-pics as a genre are always a bit hit and miss, the best ones I’ve always found tending to be about people no longer with us, the exception to that particular rule being the magnificent ‘Raging Bull’. Part of the difficulty is the sensitivity required to portray the subject in a positive light; not many Directors have Scorsese’s ability or perception to depict light and shade without overdosing on one or the other.
Therein lies the problem with Bill Pohlad’s approach to Brian Wilson, who’s represented as a genius, no more no less throughout (albeit a tortured, fucked up, victimised but ultimately rehabilitated one). Played by 2 different actors with no similarity whatsoever – Paul Dano as the young BW – slightly goofy, chubby but obviously mega-talented and John Cusack as the older version, thin, overmedicated and needy but quite clearly a genius – this ubiquitous assessment is slapped on as thick as the pancake makeup Cusack is evidently wearing. ‘Who do you think you are – Mozart?’ asks the Mike Love character, instantly recognisable due to the flat cap and beard, that classic refuge of the balding rock star, as the rest of the Beach Boys endure another tortuous hour in the studio whilst Brian creates. The following scene, in which the session drummer tells Brian how great he is, provides the answer. Yes indeed, he thinks he’s Mozart. And so does the director.
Wilson’s second wife, one time car saleswoman Melinda is very much the heroine of the hour – and unsurprisingly she’s a consultant on the movie. The love of a good woman rescues BW from the clutches of his controlling shrink Dr Eugene Landy, played with overweight emphasis on the evilness by the usually understated Paul Giamatti, a portrayal which made me instantly think of the Sheriff of Rottingham in Mel Brook’s Robin Hood spoof, though that could have been because the news that actor Roger Rees died yesterday was forefront in my mind. Just in case you didn’t realise what a bad egg Landy is – not that it’s possible to miss it – his appalling dress sense, awful joke shop wig and self obsessed dialogue provides additional unsubtle evidence. How BW became mixed up with this ratbag in the first place isn’t explained but Melinda’s angelic extrication certainly is. Despite his being a quivering, drug-fucked wreck, she’s highly attracted to him and with the help of yet another cliched character, Landy’s illegal immigrant housekeeper, she duly gets her man by the end of the film, providing a nice happy ever after ending which I found more than a bit grating.
I liked Dano as the young Brian, but Cusack as the older version relied too much on the little gestures and tics that scream out – I can act, alright?’ Presumably, JC was chosen for the role due to his thespian qualities alone, since no attempt is made to make him look like Wilson, even though everyone else in the movie is given the look alike treatment. I’m not Cusack’s biggest fan, though I accept his talent, but he just didn’t convince me here. Elizabeth Banks is good as the saintly Melinda, though it’s a role which doesn’t stretch her much. Everyone else is fleeting, the rest of the BB’s, Love apart, portrayed as shaggy haired boys who cant quite believe their luck and the dreadful Wilson dad Murry, shown as being, if anything, even more dastardly than the bad Doctor Landy.
Considering Brian is supposedly a musical genius (and I’m not saying he isn’t) there’s not much music in the film apart from the odd snatch here and there, only one of Brian’s insipid-to-my-ears efforts being played in full.
I was disappointed. But,if you’ve read this far, you probably realised that already.
Might appeal to people who enjoyed:
The Beach Boys and BW’s solo stuff. And people who like happy ever after bio pics.
Excellent review, gary. Personally, I find it difficult to write a critical review and remain measured and fair. You managed it with aplomb. Well done.
Excellent review, I share your reservations about Cusack, but haven’t seen it yet.
BTW it only just went on general release in North America so didn’t take too long to get down under.
I went to see it tonight. I’m a huge BW fan and I have to say I didn’t spot a single musical factual error. Everything, chronology, instruments used, studio names, even the engineer – all spot on.
I loved the actor playing young Brian but not so much Cusack. I just didn’t see Brian there at all.
Landy was everything the film says he was but I’ve also read opinions that say that he did save Brian’s life – even if everything else he subsequently did was wrong.
Anyhow – I’m away to get the Pet Sounds Box out!
Yep Gav, Cusack’s wrong. Who do you think would have been a better casting choice? I’m thinking Jeff Bridges might’ve worked.
Jeff Bridges is a great casting call. Cusak’s been irritating the tits off me since, like, forever, with his twitchy, pallid sensitivity.
I hadn’t thought about who would be better cast. Bridges is a good call but he is too old to be 80’s Brian.
I would suggest Tim Robbins
Landy, to his credit, did save Brian’s life. However, he then attempted to control it and his greed became enormous. I do remember a RS article at the time where the writer had been warned against giving Brian anything. After Landy had left the room, Brian’s first question was – ‘Got any drugs?’
That’s pretty much what I thought/posted elsewhere;
Out to the pictures last night (they’re in colour now, and they talk in them) to see the Brian Wilson-centric Love and Mercy. Paul Dano does an amazing job of portraying the sixties Wilson, and the film flips between The Beach Boys’ watershed period in the mid-to-late sixties and the slightly problematic casting of John Cusack as mid-eighties Brian, being dragged out of his slough of despair (or is he?) by a scenery-chewing Paul Giamatti as controversial psychotherapist Dr. Eugene Landy, the monster of the piece. It’s distracting as, although Cusack is a fine actor and gets his hand around many quirks of Wilson’s physiognomy he remains, well, John Cusack. The scene where he woos Elizabeth Banks’ love interest (and current Mrs. Wilson) Melinda by holding a boom box over his head and serenading her balcony with a Peter Gabriel song* is just one example of this.
Despite knowing how the story ends, it’s still quite a tense movie although our party agreed that we would have quite happily sat through an extended two hour director’s cut set entirely in the recording studios where The Beach Boys and a cast of tens are seen recording Pet Sounds. You don’t have to be a Beach Boys fanatic to enjoy Love and Mercy – there’s a small amount of exposition (“Hi Carl, hi Mike, good to see you Al….”) – but if you are a long time admirer, things like the significance of the band meeting in the pool scene offer up great rewards.
*He doesn’t.
Went to see this last night at the lovely Rex Cinema in Berkhamsted. Thoroughly enjoyed it and found it hard to fault the casting (personally I thought Cusack was superb). As the last film I saw was Amy – I was struck by the similarity in the broadest sense of both films being about the exploitation of extraordinarily talented vulnerable people.
Probably the best music biopic Ive seen then again this story was just made for film – if you didn’t know it was true you’d be forgiven for thinking they are laying it on a bit thick !
The one cringeworthy moment for me was when Carol Kaye says ‘I think you’ve made a mistake here Brian Im playing in A but everyone else is in D ?’ – then turns a nods enthusiastically to the control room when she realises its just a genius at work. Personally Ive often played in A when everyone else is in D and nobody accused me of being a genius !
Saw this on Blu-ray last night and thought I’d add my twopennyworth.
I was a bit apprehensive about it because the reviews have pointed out some flaws. But we both loved it, the music was perfect, the acting outstanding and the feel seemed just right.
I know the OP thought it was all a bit over-acted and laid on a bit thick but the fact is he was saved by the love of a good women (like many of us!) so I didn’t mind the way she was portrayed, doing a bit of research she seems to have his best interests at heart. And by all accounts Landy’s evil deeds were actually understated.
Some of the facts weren’t quite right, Carl Wilson was much more involved in Brian’s rescue and Brian deciding not to tour and The Beatles were about a year apart not at the time time.
Wilson has said it is ‘very factual’ but dwells on the dark parts of his life a bit do much.
And we thought the ending was perfect and turned us into blubbering wrecks! But that may be just us!
Just a heads up that this is now available on Netflix in the UK.
I just watched it and thought it was great.