Review of Love & Mercy (2015) by Meredith W — 10 Jan 2016

The best biopics don't attempt to tell the whole story. And thankfully "Love & Mercy" adheres to this adage. Instead, the film focuses on two key moments in Brian Wilson's life: as her conceives of the group's transformative sounds and of his rebirth two decades later when he is saved from the grip of his controversial, 24-hour therapist Dr Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti).

This is helped by the decision to cast two actors to portray Wilson: Paul Dano and John Cusack, both of who do a good job. Elizabeth Banks, too, gives a good performance as Wilson's now-wife, Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), who he met inside a Cadillac showroom.

The other star is the '80s clothes and décor that features in the latter story, which is a retrospective feast.