An engaging, focused narrative and great performances definitely make Love and Mercy worth a watch.

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2017)

To all Hollywood directors out there trying to make a biopic of a person's life, this is certainly the way to do it. Bill Pohlad's emotionally engaging biopic of Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson is extremely effective with great cinematography, wonderful acting by the leads and is heart wrenching well written. Unlike most biopics that tried to cover the entirety of a person's life, Love and Mercy instead keeps its focus on two areas of Brian Wilson's life. First, when the younger Wilson (Paul Dano) is making the iconic Pet Sounds album in the 1960s and dealing with the aftermath of the album's release. Secondly, it deals with an older Wilson's (John Cusack) deteriorating mental state in the 1980s as he attempts to find love with a local car dealer (Elizabeth Banks), whilst also being emotionally abused by his psychiatrist Dr Landy (Paul Giamatti). By doing this, Pohlad creates a more focused narrative that doesn't confuse the audience by trying to cram in too many of Wilson's life into one two-hour movie. The movie also succeeds in the way in which it transitions seamlessly between the two different time periods. Unlike most biopics, it doesn't present the events chronologically. Instead, it goes back and forth between Dano and Cusack's Wilson. However, it never feels like two different movies, as both sections of the film complement each other and add more depth to the scenes that come prior and after. The acting is all around top notch for the film as well. Dano probably gives the best performance of his career, acting like the mad genius that Wilson was. He perfectly depicts the ever worsening mental state of Wilson and it's shameful that he wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. Cusack also gives one of his best performance in years. Whilst he doesn't quite have as much to do as Dano does, he still delivers a quiet and reserved performance that reminds audiences of why people so adored him in the 90s. Elizabeth Banks is also great in her role as the emphatic love interest of Wilson. Arguably, some might dislike the fact that Bank's character does probably have a larger role in these sections than Cusack but she never feels forced in. Wilson is seen primarily through Dano's eyes and Banks is the voice of reason that is trying to bring him back to reality. If I had to criticise any performance in the film, I would be inclined to say Paul Giamatti. Whilst his performance is by no means awful, I did think he occasionally went slightly too over the top in some parts of the film. When compared to the subtle performances by all the other main actors, I felt his performance became occasionally too cartoonish (although Wilson himself said that his performance reminded him of the real Dr Landy, so maybe I'm in the wrong on this one). Love and Mercy is a film that everyone should watch, regardless of whether they're a Beach Boys fan or not. It delivers an interesting perspective into one of the 20th century's greatest musicians but feels more focused and more engaging than some of the music biopics that have preceded it (e.g. Ray, Walk the Line etc). It's a film that deserves a gander and I can't recommend it enough.