I thought it was really good. It's not exactly packing them in, so if you're interested, I'd recommend seeing it this weekend. It'll probably have disappeared from the theaters by next week.

Very good, I thought, excellent acting, especially by Paul Dano as the young Brian, and John Cusak also.
Studio sessions filled with musicians showed his creative process well.
Brian Wilson likes the film.

~"Love is Strong"~

I plan on it. Carol Kaye is angry about being depicted as a bimbo, but she likes to be angry.

If it's still in theaters in a few weeks, I'll try to see it, if not, it'll be Netflix. It's gotten good reviews, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 88% on the tomatometer.

What about Brian "The Beard" Wilson? Anyone know who I am talking about?


plexi

Thanks for the tip. Sounds great actually.

peace

The director was interviewed on TV Friday. He said Brian Wilson has schizo-affective disorder which causes him to hear symphonies and complex harmonies in his head which he puts into songs. Brian's wife Marilyn in 1975 hired psychologist Eugene Ellsworth Landy to treat Brian but Landy exploited Brian, moved in with him and kept him isolated and drugged until Brian's family took legal action in 1991. Landy died in 2006. He's depicted in the film, going on Brian's first date with the saleswoman from the car dealership (played by Elizabeth Banks).

Stones related: Blondie Chaplin has a prominent role in Brian's latest band, even sings a few songs on tour.

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tatters
I thought Paul Dano was better than John Cusack, but that's probably because Dano benefitted from getting to play the more interesting version of Brian. There's way more theatrical potential in playing a genius who's losing his mind just as he's reaching his creative peak, than in playing a damaged older guy who's just a shell of his former self.

Great point, tatters. John Cusack's performance grew on me. It is, indeed, challenging to play someone who has had most of his self-esteem and -confidence beaten out of him, who is almost wholly dependent on another adult, and yet has just enough desire, clarity, and strength to escape from his current condition to a better one. John Cusack could have made Brian appear more charming, witty, energetic...anything...but he didn't. To his credit. Admirable restraint. And yet, to me, the character is real, plain, sweet, and appealing. To mean Dano portrayed Brian Wilson's genius more convincingly -- I didn't get the genius vibe as much from Cusack, and it is still there in the actual Brian Wilson, tho it is harder to recognize.

I may see it again...it was so smartly and lovingly made. And agree with Angee that the recording sessions with the Wrecking crew were very enjoyable.

- swiss



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-02 06:16 by swiss.

i thought cusak did not to the commit to the role by not even trying to look like brian wilson, i didn't like that. i also did not get a sense of depth of character out of him. Dano was amazing, out of cusak's league really, perhaps the contract made it look worse than it was.

the screenplay was not good IMO. could have been done much better, it's such a great story.

I don't know that much about Brian Wilson (meaning: like, compared to members of the Stones or Beatles), so I don't know how much depth of character the man himself has in his later years. I don't mean that pejoratively, at all. I think his affect is fairly flat. And he seems to have perhaps a more lively internal life than outer-directed expression. I've seen interviews with him over the years, and I don't know how much an actor would have to go on. To me, John Cusack was effective at conveying the subtleties of expression amidst an apparently largely flat affect. I only occasionally appreciate John Cusack, and I was surprised to be positively impressed with what he did here.

I think I will see it again. I thought the screenplay was quite good. I was very drawn into the story, tho, so I may not have been observing the writing/screenplay as much as I usually would. I'm curious now what I'd think if I saw it again. what particularly about the screenplay did you find subpar, Turner? What screenplays do you think are well-written?

- swiss



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-02 06:32 by swiss.

dano was great. could be nominated for awards. eerily nailed it.

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Turner68
dano was great. could be nominated for awards. eerily nailed it.

Seriously. I'd like to see him in other roles.

btw....re: screenplay...in retrospect, I now do remember muttering to my movie companion last night a couple of times "They would not have said that in 1965," or "That wasn't an expression then."

- swiss

Not seen it yet. I am a massive Brian Wilson fan - hey i'm on a Stones board but my favourite album of all-time since the late 80s bootleg leak has been Smile.
The reaction from Wilson fans has been pretty much entirely positive which is no mean feat considering biopics are notoriously crap, esp music ones.The 60s studio scenes are supposed to be excellent.

There is a deep emotional resonance to Wilson's music (at least up to 1971-ish). It is amazing how he transferred that emotion and communicated it via music - to be quite frank, at his best he leaves everyone else of that era in the dust. Musically he is way beyond the Beatles, Stones, Dylan etc...
Til I Die for example, might not be everyone's cup of tea here, but it's basically a suicide note and at the same time he makes it and the world sound beautiful and somehow alright. The arrangement is a stunner and the chord changes are nothing like those used by his contempories.
It is really sad that he ended up so messed up. While his own drug abuse didn't help (understatement of the year), the damage Landy eventually caused has been permanent. Landy should have died in jail.

Brian Wilson's best efforts, either as a Beach Boy or as a solo-artist, puts him on the map as a musical genius. It may very well take many a listen to discover his potential, but it will grow by time and stay with you forever, if you're hooked. He is very much like McCartney in that regard: Once you're hooked, it will stay with you forever.

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DoomandGloom
I plan on it. Carol Kaye is angry about being depicted as a bimbo, but she likes to be angry.

That's a good reason to be angry whether she likes to be or not.

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ash
Not seen it yet. I am a massive Brian Wilson fan - hey i'm on a Stones board but my favourite album of all-time since the late 80s bootleg leak has been Smile.
The reaction from Wilson fans has been pretty much entirely positive which is no mean feat considering biopics are notoriously crap, esp music ones.The 60s studio scenes are supposed to be excellent.

There is a deep emotional resonance to Wilson's music (at least up to 1971-ish). It is amazing how he transferred that emotion and communicated it via music - to be quite frank, at his best he leaves everyone else of that era in the dust. Musically he is way beyond the Beatles, Stones, Dylan etc...
Til I Die for example, might not be everyone's cup of tea here, but it's basically a suicide note and at the same time he makes it and the world sound beautiful and somehow alright. The arrangement is a stunner and the chord changes are nothing like those used by his contempories.
It is really sad that he ended up so messed up. While his own drug abuse didn't help (understatement of the year), the damage Landy eventually caused has been permanent. Landy should have died in jail.

you must see it if you are a brian wilson fan!
i wanted to be clear about that since some of my comments were critical.

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duke richardson

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DoomandGloom
I plan on it. Carol Kaye is angry about being depicted as a bimbo, but she likes to be angry.

That's a good reason to be angry whether she likes to be or not.

A 6-minute documentary about Carol Kaye!

hi!

I'm surprised there's not a thread on the new Brian Wilson biopic, Love and Mercy. Did anyone see it? I saw it last night. I'm usually highly skeptical of biopics--and especially if they deal with genius, mental illness, drug use or any combination therein.

But this was phenomenal. The acting blew me away. From Paul Giamatti's unctuous controlling Dr Landy to the two versions of Brian (John Kusak and Paul Dano -- equally good -- different ways) to Elizabeth Banks as girlfriend Melinda.

I would love to hear what others here thought. I am aware that Beach Boys philiacs are even more intense than Stones' fans. So, I am prepared for Beach Boys purists to say it sucked. From my limited knowledge and appreciation of the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson, I thought the depiction of him (the other Beach Boys, the Wrecking Crew) musically and otherwise was extremely respectful, not stupid, and well done.

My heart broke re: Wilson's dependency on his shrink, Dr Landy, and undoubtedly well-meaning, toxic, controlling, paternalistic figure in Brian''s life.

It's not uncommon for people close-in to situations involving a "sick genius" to believe they sort of own the person, keep them in a controlled box to "protect" them, not want the person to form their own intimate relationships, feed the person poisonous messages about their limitations, over-medicate them, and try every way possible to sabotage new relationships and intimacies---even if the relationships fill the person with joy and freedom, and excites a whole new lease on life. It may not be uncommon. But it sure as hell was difficult (almost impossible for me) to watch. Fortunately, freedom wins in the end---and Brian Wilson doesn't die before he got to be free and marry the woman he loved. Not everyone is that fortunate (and that's all I'll say on that topic).

- swiss

Take a look here:

[www.iorr.org]

.....

Olly.

I thought Paul Dano was better than John Cusack, but that's probably because Dano benefitted from getting to play the more interesting version of Brian. There's way more theatrical potential in playing a genius who's losing his mind just as he's reaching his creative peak, than in playing a damaged older guy who's just a shell of his former self.





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-02 04:02 by tatters.

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Olly
Take a look here:

[www.iorr.org]

ack, that's embarrassing! I looked for past threads searching on "Mercy," but no one in tatters' thread mentioned the title. I should have done a 2nd search on "Wilson."

I'll report myself to BV, and ask him to combine the threads!

- swiss

I saw it. I thought it was all right and I am a big Brian Wilson fan. I thought cusak was poor and the screenplay poor. I was familiar with his story so I didn't have the impact of hearing the incredible story for the first time. Anyone who is a fan of the beach boys or 60s music or biopics about creative people with mental health issues should see it.

,GREAT MOVIE. Actually did a search to make sure I did not start a new thread. I really loved this movie. Makes me feel so lucky I got to see Brian Wlison w. Jeff Beck last year. Anyway - go see this movie. I thought it was amazing.

Fabulous. Especially Dano, though perhaps Cusack had a more difficult challenge playing his version of Brian. The music and history was handled respectfully and accurately - not always true in films about musical artists, though there was perhaps more compression of other key figures like Carl, Dennis, and Van Dyke Parks. The tension inherent in Brian's relationships with his father and Mike Love were handled well, and I can't say enough about the heart that Elizabeth Banks brought to her performance.

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chatoyancy
The director was interviewed on TV Friday. He said Brian Wilson has schizo-affective disorder which causes him to hear symphonies and complex harmonies in his head which he puts into songs. Brian's wife Marilyn in 1975 hired psychologist Eugene Ellsworth Landy to treat Brian but Landy exploited Brian, moved in with him and kept him isolated and drugged until Brian's family took legal action in 1991. Landy died in 2006. He's depicted in the film, going on Brian's first date with the saleswoman from the car dealership (played by Elizabeth Banks).

Stones related: Blondie Chaplin has a prominent role in Brian's latest band, even sings a few songs on tour.

Blondie sang on one of their biggest hits (70's) "sail on Sailor".