Love & Mercy

Bill Pohlad's biopic of The Beach Boys front man Brian Wilson is not only an enjoyable film about the life of a dark, tortured individual, but also a refreshing take on the structure and style that biopics are usually delivered. In the film, Wilson is portrayed by two actors, Paul Dano and John Cusack, both at different stages of his life.

In the 1960s, Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) is looking to take a break from touring with the Beach Boys and stay in the studio to focus on writing what he thinks will be a masterpiece. When the band returns from their tour, they are less than satisfied with his results, especially his cousin Mike Love (Jake Abel). Also affecting his relationships is the fact that Brian begins to display signs of strangeness, caused mainly by mental illness and drug abuse. In the 1980s, Brian (John Cusack) is a broken man who is under the spell of sinister psychotherapist Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), who controls Brian's every move. When Brian meets and begins to date car saleswoman Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), does she recognise the abusive situation that Brian is in and tries to get him out.

Pohlad has created both a visually stunning and creatively invigorating film. The two timelines of the film complement each other perfectly despite not having any interaction or crossover apart from the character of Wilson. The timelines also have their own unique visual palates, with the 60s having a fun, bright and colourful look (while the studio sequences have been filmed with 16mm cameras to give a fly on the wall feel) and the 80s has an almost muted look, but not drained of colour. The tones of the timeline also play off each other well, with the 60s matching fun that the band was having, while the 80s plays into the fear that Brian was experiencing.

I've never been a huge Beach Boys fan, but I definitely know their music. After watching this movie, half of which is set during the recording of the now classic album Pet Sounds, I have a better appreciation of the conditions a lot of these bands made their records under, as well as the personal stresses some went through. Wilson is a completely sympathetic character throughout the entire film and in each era has his external critics (Love and Landy).

Whilst having multiple actors portray the same character is no new territory (the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There had six actors portray the singer), Love & Mercy splits the two different actors into two distinct characters. Pohlad allowed both Dano and Cusack to play Wilson in their own way, but did not let them interact whilst making the film, lest they influence each other. This really works for the benefit of the film because the two styles are completely different. Dano works exceptionally well as the excited young Wilson, who is ultimately frustrated and confused by his illness. Cusack is phenomenal as the older Wilson and is really playing against type of the films of his youth, like Say Anything and High Fidelity. Both actors have such strong and diverse careers that have given them skills that shine through in this role.

Whilst Elizabeth Banks has never intrigued me much as an actor, as Melinda she really shows off her talents as someone who can tackle hard hitting dramatic roles. Paul Giamatti is once again perfect and so scary as the evil Eugene Landy. His performances as evil characters are always chilling to watch. Stage actor Bill Camp also brings a terrifying performance as Wilson's father Murry.

Even if you don't like The Beach Boys music, Love & Mercy is a great film to watch about a heartbreaking story. Both Dano and Cusack give superb performances that will stay with me for a long time.