The slow and agonizing fall of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson is one of the saddest stories in music. For such an undisputedly brilliant songwriter to start withering in the fashion Wilson did is almost too tragic to adapt into a screenplay. But give the writers credit, they were unafraid to float in the murky waters of his (partially self-imposed) mental deterioration. Luckily, we're all able to come out the other end without wanting to walk directly into traffic afterward. Because even though there are arguably more downs than ups in Bill Pohlad's depiction of Brian Wilson's tortured genius, a lot of that is eclipsed by the sheer volume of Wilson's achievements, presented in bits and pieces throughout the film. Rather than slice through the earlier years to get to "the good stuff," Love & Mercy spans an impressive timeline, to the point where they brought in both Paul Dano and John Cusack, to play the younger and older versions of Wilson, respectively. Both actors to a sensational job representing the precise ways the Beach Boy's creativity shone through, with his slightly ridiculous recording methods shown in painful detail. Love & Mercy doesn't necessarily reinvent the biopic genre, but it certainly takes it to its peak.
