lmabadie I enjoyed the early Beach Boys parts of the story and I wished they had been longer. Paul Dano made a great job as the young Brian Wilson and those parts of the movie were very good. I also wished there had been more of their early music and the group beginnings and rise to fame, maybe exploring better the conflict relationship with their father. The later parts of the story were not of the same level. John Cusak was a poor casting for the role of the older Brian WIlson. There is nothing likable about his character and it was difficult to see what made his future wife get attracted to him, other than his bank account. It is the victors who write the history books, or in this case they are the ones that will sell the rights to the movie and control how some character, including themselves will be depicted. Maybe I am totally wrong about this, I have no way to know, but the important thing is that this is the way the movie made me feel while watching it, that it was a struggle about who would control Brian Wilson fortunes.

vsd324 Fame and normalcy simply do not go hand in hand. According to biopics on the lives of famous music artists, this goes beyond the ability to live a normal life where you can go out without being recognized and where privacy is a virtual impossibility. Beyond this...many have demons in their lives that haunt them. We see this in movies such as "Ray" (2004) (Ray Charles biopic), "Walk the Line" (2005) (Johnny Cash biopic) and "What's Love Got to Do With It" (1993) (Tina Turner biopic). "Love & Desire" shows us that even the happy-go-lucky group The Beach Boys were pretty warped. On the surface the Beach Boys are this surf-pop group with fun summer songs, who guest starred on "Full House" (1988) in their later years. Little did we know that they had their fair share of turmoil. Control issues, artistic differences and even paranoid schizophrenia did not escape The Beach Boys. Biopics are tricky as far as movies go because the plot consists of the events of a person's life, so a finite beginning, middle and end is tricky to create. This movie did well in artistically capturing the craziness of the lives of The Beach Boys. One negative note in the cinematography is that certain scenes were shot as if someone was spying on the speakers with very shaky camera. It's a technique I'm seeing more and more in films and I can't stand it. Just keep the camera still! Overall, this movie was an interesting look at The Beach Boys, but a rather typical biopic.

zkonedog When done right, a biopic film can be quite a sight to behold for the potential it is to combine drama, real-life, and music. Fortunately, "Love & Mercy" is most definitely done right, relaying the story of Brian Wilson and his relation to the band he created...The Beach Boys.For a basic plot summary, "Love & Mercy" tells an intertwining dual-narrative tale: A young Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) is rising to fame with The Beach Boys, while at the same time succumbing to his mental demons. While the rest of the band wants to "ride the wave" (pun intended) of their skyrocketing success, Brian feels artistically compelled (one might say maniacally driven) to do his own thing. An alcoholic and un-supportive father (played by Bill Camp) finally pushes Brian over the edge, prompting him to shack up in his room for years on end. Fast-forward about 30 years into the future and Wilson (John Cusack), now quite an odd fellow but at least out in society again, happens to meet a car saleswoman named Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks) and strike up a friendship (that may also be a bit romantic). Melinda discovers that Brian is now closely watched (guarded) by one Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), on a strict program of pills and tough discipline. The doctor says it is for Brian's own good, but Melinda has her own serious doubts about that.The first thing that needs to be understood about "Love & Mercy" is that it isn't a "Beach Boys biopic". It's a "Brian Wilson biopic". Sure, the other Beach Boys members are prominently featured as is their music throughout, but the narrative focus is squarely on Brian Wilson. So, those looking for a retrospective on the history of the group might be a little disappointed.This is probably a good choice, however, as Brian's story is probably the most interesting thing TO focus on. From his relationships to family, friends, fellow band members, and (in the later years) society as a whole, Brian battled mental illness and extreme anxiety. I hadn't realized that he also looked to be severely taken advantage of by Dr. Landy. Just a fascinating human-interest story all-around.Like all great musical biopics, "Love & Mercy" needed great music and got exactly that! You'll be listening to Beach Boys tunes for awhile after the viewing is over. The acting is also very convincing. Both the young/old Wilson actors are spot-on, while Banks shows she can hold down a very serious, emotional role (moving away from the dirty rom-coms and crazy Effie character from the Hunger Games she had come to be known for). Of course, it's a historical picture, so Giamatti is in it (!).About the only caveat I could give to this film is that it might not play quite as well if you know nothing about the Beach Boys or Brian Wilson. I knew the basic story going in, so was able to pick up on all the requisite beats. I'd be interested to hear if others (who know nothing about the topic) were able to do the same.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "Love & Mercy" for its combination of drama, music, and historical realism. The scenes from the past are capable of producing great nostalgia, while those set in Wilson's "older years" tell a compelling story that many may not know.

john smith Of course you see haters of this movie and the biopic genre in general. I mean come one look at all the famous music biopics The Doors, Ray, Walk the Line, Im not there, Sid and Nancy. They all have ratings below 8. People are way too picky about these things. This one was especially great in my mind because it was dramatic and had very good acting. Im not a huge fan of the beach boys in general i don't dislike them just not a big fan but I loved this movie. "its not linear what good art stands for" ~ Ray Manzareck from the doors. It bounces back and forth between 1960s and 1980s Brian Wilson which both actors killed the role. Very interesting story of a man basically slowly going insane. I recommend this for not only classic rock fans but movie fans this is an excellent biopic. You get to enter the world of one of musics most bright visionaries and see his peak and how he slowly enslaves himself in his own mind through drugs, his past, and his obsession with beating the Beatles.