The Beach Boys built their musical reputation in the early 60s as fun and sun loving, carefree Californian surfer boys—but it was far from the truth. Behind the upbeat melodies and feel-good harmonies, the group was struggling to find their sound, and lead singer/songwriter Brian Wilson was battling a range of personal demons.
Love and Mercy tells Brian Wilson’s story: his struggle with anxiety and depression, the intoxicating role of drugs in destroying his world, as well as his magnificent creative genius. It’s brilliantly done.
Cutting between the early days of the band and a period in the late eighties that was a significant period in his illness, we bear witness to an incredible battle between Wilson’s mind and his creative impulses.
As the mid 60s approaches, and following the success of pop hits such as ‘Surfin’ USA’, Wilson feels the urge to delve deeper into his music. It isn’t a move that everyone in the band agrees with, but they follow him down his artistic path.
Leaving behind the more predictable early work, and embarking on Pet Sounds, a young Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) begins to experiment with a variety of musical techniques, bringing together a sound unlike anything before. He also experiments with a range of drugs, and the abuse he suffered as a child at the hand of his father soon erupts to the surface.
Wilson also begins hearing voices, suffering from crippling anxiety attacks. It seems the deeper he goes into his art, the darker it gets; and there are plenty of people waiting to take advantage of him in his vulnerable state.
Wilson’s illness and drug use would eventually cost him his first marriage, and leads him under the control of therapist Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), who in the 80’s exploits and controls him with medication. It’s this abuse that is central to the later chapter in the story.
When the older Wilson (John Cusack) meets Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), she can’t help but be concerned by the control Landy has on his every move. But, convinced he is a paranoid schizophrenic (a diagnosis later disproven), Wilson submits to Landy’s extreme medication routines and is isolated from friends and family.
However, Ledbetter won’t give up on him. And her persistence is eventually what saves Wilson.
The film offers a powerful depiction of fame and abuse, and offers an insight into the kind of madness required to create magnificent art. While the critics loved Pet Sounds, the fans did not. Like too many great artists, the deviation from the popular sounds their fans had come to love, forced Wilson and the band to return to safer territory. His original compositions on Pet Sounds would later be recognised as some of the greatest work of the era, if not all time.
It’s a fantastic film and exploration of character, which will be enjoyed by an audience not restricted to fans of the band. Both Paul Dano and John Cusack do a wonderful job of bringing Wilson and his struggles to life, and Eliabeth Banks is outstanding as his later love interest.
The film was made with both Wilson and Ledbetter’s approval, and the result is an affecting biopic that is as relevant to understanding mental illness as it is to appreciating the musical journey of an influential artist.
Directed by: Bill Pohla
Starring: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giammatti
Rating: TBC
Runtime: 120 mins
Release Date: June 25
Reviewer rating: 4/5
