Review of Love & Mercy rating *****
Before I was flying for a major airline, I spent several years flying for charter companies. One company operated Learjets, and I ended up flying a lot of famous people around the country. On one charter, we used three Learjets to fly members of the Beach Boys to a concert. I didn’t fly Brian Wilson that day, but I’m fairly certain Mike Love was one of my passengers. That’s my brush with fame connected to this story.
Love & Mercy covers the life of Brian Wilson, the creative force behind most of the Beach Boys’ music. The film focuses on two periods of Wilson’s life: the height of the band’s early fame and the later years when his mental health began to deteriorate. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, the filmmakers chose to use two different actors to portray Wilson — Paul Dano as the younger Brian and John Cusack as the older Brian. I’m not sure why Dano couldn’t have played both. Cusack isn’t a bad choice, but the lack of any resemblance between the two actors is jarring and takes a moment to adjust to. Once you get past that questionable creative decision, the film works as an engaging biographical drama.
A large portion of the film revolves around Brian working on the Pet Sounds album, though I don’t recall the album ever being mentioned by name. Critics have praised Pet Sounds for decades. My take is closer to Mike Love’s reaction when he first heard some of the songs. While the rest of the band went on tour, Brian stayed home experimenting with new sounds and instruments. That freedom allowed him to push boundaries, but it didn’t result in a lot of hit songs — with the exceptions of God Only Knows, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, and Sloop John B. Many of the songs were also difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce live.
The central theme of the film is Brian’s mental state and the destructive influence of drugs, medication, and his psychiatrist, Dr. Eugene Landy, played by Paul Giamatti. I’ve seen documentaries describing Landy’s control over nearly every aspect of Brian’s life, and Giamatti captures that manipulative intensity perfectly.
The standout performance for me was Elizabeth Banks as Melinda Ledbetter, the woman most responsible for helping Brian break free from Landy’s control. Banks is convincing as someone trying to understand a deeply complicated situation while showing genuine compassion. She also looks great in the role. Her wardrobe and presence reminded me of Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich — two strong‑willed women not afraid to use confidence and style to their advantage. The real Melinda was a former model, so the look fits.
One of the final scenes involves Giamatti’s meltdown after learning Melinda was behind the legal actions that separated him from Brian. It’s a satisfying moment of closure when Elizabeth Banks confronts the defeated Landy without saying a word.
This film was released back in 2015, but it was new for me. If you haven’t seen it, it will be new for you, too.