Review of Love & Mercy (2015) by Peter F — 14 Jun 2015

Had a chance to obtain an early viewing of the film and I approached it with a positive bias since I've been a big fan of the Beach Boys during their prime (1960-1970) given that Brian Wilson was one of the most talented songwriters of his day, even if he lost his magic touch some time ago.

Unfortunately, the film happens to be a tremendous disappointment on several levels. First, when casting a living celebrity who is recognizable to millions, it is imperative to find an actor(s) that bears some physical resemblance to the icon.

..or, at the least, convert the actor via makeup, hair dye, prosthetics, etc., into an acceptable simulacrum. As much as I like Cusack, at no time could I suspend disbelief and think of him as "Brian Wilson," not for a moment.

Second, the film had the feeling of a TV Movie of the Week, thanks primarily to the wooden dialogue and the mundane, conventional, directorial interpretation. This biopic, in the hands of a far more talented writer such as Aaron Sorkin and a more imaginative director such as Milos Forman, likely would have been an extraordinary creation, since the life of Brian Wilson is genuinely a fascinating rise-fall-resurrection tale.

Essentially, what the film really needed were powerful visual biographers who could awe the audience in the same manner that Brian Wilson could blow away his fans, thanks to his oft, out-of-the-box songs, such as, "Good Vibrations.

" Unfortunately, where Brian Wilson's songs could be astounding works of art, this biopic only will appeal to those hard core oldster fans (the majority now firmly ensconced within their senile years) who worship the man as a veritable god, ready to fall in love with any mediocre mention or trite paean to his life.

Yes, it was very nice to hear all those Beach Boys songs again...but, hell, today, I can steal all of the music for free from the internet, so why would I pay a single penny for the experience? Sorry to report that Love & Mercy is more in the vein of "Banal Vibrations," and can only recommend this for a free TV viewing, and merely for those who might find it of academic interest.