LOVE & MERCY

What a great biopic of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys! The film deals with his relationship with his bandmates and brothers,  his relationship with his father (what a piece of self-esteem and confidence shatterer he is!), his musical composition talents, his mental illness, the period in the 80's when, because of his dysfunctional behavior, he was under the legal and pharmacological total control of a psychiatrist wondrously acted by Paul Giamatti, (this doctor eventually lost his license and was ordered to cease all contact with Brian), and his 2nd marital spouse (Elizabeth Banks).

It was done really well as far as going back and forth in time from the 60's to the 80's. Paul Dano played Brian during the time of the Beach Boys' peak and his increasingly bizarre behavior and starting a drug and drinking habit. Dano was superb.

John Cusak was good too. He was Brian during the time of his "imprisonment" by the psychiatrist and the meeting with his future wife and her actions which resulted in his family filing a lawsuit against the psychiatrist. This led to a total revision of the diagnosis of his mental problems and a regimen of different drugs which resulted in significant functional improvement. So much so that he had 5 kids with his second wife (added to 2 from wife #1) and began performing solo.  A good role for Cusak who sort of mumbles and flat-lines his speech and facial responses anyway.

The movie could have been shortened by about 15 minutes or so towards the end but this didn't change my reaction to this film which deserves a solid 8. Oh, and fortunately, there wasn't much Beach Boys music in the movie since i have never cared for their songs.