I’m a huge fan of music biopics, whether they’re documenting or fictionalizing, because I’ve always felt the passion and commitment those talented folk give to their art should be shared with a wider audience. Recently we’ve had the insightful Cobain documentary and extraordinary Whiplash, with the likes of Almost Famous and High Fidelity always sitting comfortably in my all-time Top 10.
I’ve been keeping an eye on Love & Mercy since it was first announced a couple of years back and my interest continued to grow as Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks and John Cusack were added to proceedings. Directed by Bill Pohlad, his first major feature after producing Wild, 12 Years A Slave and The Tree of Life, he’s chosen to look through the unique life of Brian Wilson.
In the 1960s, Beach Boys leader Wilson (played here by Dano) began to struggle with an emerging psychosis as he made his avant-garde pop masterpiece. Then, into the 1980s (with Cusack taking on the character), he’s a hugely confused man under the 24-hour watch of therapist Dr. Eugene Landy, played by Paul Giamatti.
We’ve added the full trailer below this new clip, in case you missed it, and the film is due to play the Sydney Film Festival this weekend, the Edinburgh International Film Festival later this month before it’s theatrical release on 10th July. Watch now:
And the official trailer:
Love & Mercy opens in the UK on 10th July and is out in North America now.
