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Love & Mercy

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Love & Mercy

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Summary

Biographical drama starring Paul Dano and John Cusack. While recording an album with his band, the Beach Boys, in the 1960s, singer Brian Wilson struggles with panic attacks that concern his bandmates. Later, in the 1980s, an older Wilson tentatively enters into a relationship with a Cadillac saleswoman, but his therapist's intense scrutiny threatens to derail the union before it gathers any momentum.

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Stephen Carty

This uneven biopic focuses on two significant periods in the life of Brian Wilson, the troubled singer/songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. Half the film takes place in the 1960s, and follows Brian (Paul Dano) as he tries to take the band in a different, somewhat experimental direction. The other half jumps to the 1980s, when Brian (now played by John Cusack) has become a fragile, overly medicated man-child whose life is being micro-managed by a manipulative psychotherapist (Paul Giamatti). As the film cuts back and forth, each strand rings false in different ways, especially the romance that develops between Cusack's middle-aged Brian and Elizabeth Banks's compassionate saleswoman. Dano features in the most effective sequences - which depict Brian recording in the studio - but neither he nor Cusack is able to quite disappear into the role. A fascinating biopic could be made about Brian Wilson, but this isn't it.

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7.4/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameBrian Wilson, olderJohn CusackBrian WilsonPaul DanoMelinda LedbetterElizabeth Banks (2)Dr Eugene LandyPaul GiamattiMike LoveJake AbelDennis WilsonKenny WormaldCarl WilsonBrett DavernAl JardineGraham RogersMurry WilsonBill CampMarilyn WilsonErin DarkeVan Dyke ParksMax Schneider

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Crew

rolenameDirectorBill Pohlad

Details

Theatrical distributor

Sony

Released on

2015-07-10

Languages

English

Guidance

Swearing, drug abuse.

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Black and white

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