Of course, Brian Wilson still has a successful solo career and the Beach Boys are pop standards. Take that foresight. Still, many might not know his story. That's what the biopic Love & Mercy is about.
The story jumps back and forth in time between the 1960's and the 1980's. In the 1960's, Brian Wilson and his fellow Beach Boys are household names. Brian has rather unique ideas for their next album, Pet Sounds, and Beach Boy Mike Love (Jake Abel) doesn't agree with them. Brian finds himself overwhelmed by mental illness and drug use.
In the 1980's, Brian (John Cusack) is a patient of abusive psychologist Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). Brian is isolated and alone until he meets Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), a Cadillac Saleswoman. They begin a relationship which Landy doesn't approve. That relationship provides Brian a way out of Landy and his despair.
Its non-linear storyline is comprehensible. We understand who Brian Wilson is in both timelines. The actors portraying him make him a sympathetically eccentric fellow. The climax was pretty trippy, though if I have to interpret, it's him coming to terms with his past, present and future. You'll know it when you see it.
As Landy, Giamatti starts off as a fun guy. It's only later, when we see the extent of his methods, that the audience truly reviles him. The audience doesn't lose sympathy for Melinda and she remains likable to the end. When she's with Brian, they feel like a real couple.
The sound mixers are the standouts of the crew. The soundtrack, from the oldies to Atticus Ross's original score, resonates through the cinema speakers. They also help us get into Brian's head as he's conceiving music or having a nervous breakdown. Their contributions hit the right notes in this musical biopic.
Love & Mercy is an insightful look into the Face of California Sound. You'll learn quite a bit too if you seek this out in your area.
Its non-linear storyline is comprehensible. We understand who Brian Wilson is in both timelines. The actors portraying him make him a sympathetically eccentric fellow. The climax was pretty trippy, though if I have to interpret, it's him coming to terms with his past, present and future. You'll know it when you see it.
As Landy, Giamatti starts off as a fun guy. It's only later, when we see the extent of his methods, that the audience truly reviles him. The audience doesn't lose sympathy for Melinda and she remains likable to the end. When she's with Brian, they feel like a real couple.
The sound mixers are the standouts of the crew. The soundtrack, from the oldies to Atticus Ross's original score, resonates through the cinema speakers. They also help us get into Brian's head as he's conceiving music or having a nervous breakdown. Their contributions hit the right notes in this musical biopic.
Love & Mercy is an insightful look into the Face of California Sound. You'll learn quite a bit too if you seek this out in your area.
No comments:
Post a Comment