Somewhat Underwhelming

Rating: 6/10 (27 June 2015)

Paul Dano is a fantastic actor, and I think Hollywood has started to realize that over the past few years. If I remember correctly, the first thing I ever saw him in was a small little movie called "Ruby Sparks". I had never seen this guy before, but I thought he was pretty incredible. And from that day on, I made it my mission to see almost everything he's ever been in. Of course, a few of them have slipped through the cracks, but I've seen the good majority of his on-screen work. Some of my personal favorites include the aforementioned as well as his roles in "The Extra Man" and "Meek's Cutoff". And his performance in "Love & Mercy" is no different, I just wish there was more of it.
The film itself is split directly down the middle. As you may know, it's the story of Brian Wilson (otherwise known as the frontman for The Beach Boys). But it's by no means chronologically told. We cut to and fro from Brian's formative years as a musician to his later days when he seems to be manipulated by a greedy therapist out to swindle him. In his younger years, he's excellently played by Paul Dano, with John Cusack stepping in for the later part of his life. These are two different stories, and two different movies at that.
The one that I was constantly enjoying and couldn't get enough of was his early years of dealing with quick success, and trying to follow up on that with more genuine music that spoke to the listener. This struggle, the one that is parleyed with his confusion and fractured being that came about as he was much older, is far more interesting. John Cusack definitely tries his best along with Elizabeth Banks to capture that fractured state - and turns in a commendable performance along the way - but it simply can't measure up to the electricity that is seen when Dano emerges. The result is a somewhat underwhelming movie, one that most definitely would've been better if entirely focused on one part of his life. However, one thing is certainly made clear, Paul Dano is sensational.