Love & Mercy, which follows Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson at two separate points in his life, was released with very little fanfare earlier this year. However, now that awards season is almost upon us, it's worth looking back at the film and its complex protagonist using music as a coping mechanism to deal with the voices in his head. Played as a man at the height of his musical powers by Paul Dano and by John Cusack in his later life under the thrall of Paul Giamatti's corrupt therapist, Wilson is shown to be a musical genius pushed too far by the pressures of the industry. Dano's portrayal of Wilson, in particular, throws the spotlight on the cult of celebrity for exacerbating his mental illness. Wilson is depicted as being a consistent creative voice, stifled by the demands of the industry and a family telling him to keep producing the same material he has always delivered. The fallout from Pet Sounds, a commercial disappointment on release before its eventual reevaluation as a classic album, only makes Wilson's problems worse. By the time the story meets Wilson as played by Cusack, he has become a hollowed-out wreck, completely under Giamatti's control. The film is a scathing indictment of fame and how the pressures of celebrity and showbiz can stifle the creativity of otherwise great minds.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
