fame and mental illness

Rating: 9/10 (21 September 2015)

Brian Wilson was the creative force of the Beach Boys, but during the band's heyday millions didn't know that he suffered from mental illness. Bill Pohlad's "Love & Mercy" focuses on Wilson at different stages of his life: his creative period in the mid '60s while the group was working on "Pet Sounds", and his creative drought in the '80s. The casting of different people in the roles emphasizes what a different person Wilson had become as a result of his mental illness and medication. Seeing how his dad treated him, it's no wonder that Wilson had mental breakdowns. But, it took a crazy person to put together a masterpiece like "Pet Sounds".
It's a really good movie. Both Paul Dano and John Cusack put on great performances as the young and middle-aged Wilson, respectively. One can see the tension between the band members, as Brian wants to try something experimental while Mike wants to stick to their early work. I especially liked the depiction of the production of "Pet Sounds"; we're used to hearing the songs, but we get to see what it looked like to do perform them.
I recommend "Love & Mercy". Equally as good as Dano and Cusack is Paul Giamatti as Wilson's slimy therapist. But most importantly, the movie delves into the mind of one of the greatest songwriters in history. Worth seeing.