Brian Wilson biopic: Love and Mercy

Throw in the tangled web of a family enterprise and it makes it difficult to just walk away, as opposed to a strictly business arrangement with acquaintances. I’m sure Brian felt guilt and a huge responsibility to his family.

He could be incredibly decisive and forceful in the studio, but Brian often acquiesced in disputes to avoid conflict.

 

I always felt bad for him, because The Beatles had 2-1/2 great writers and a superb producer working on their music, but with the Beach Boys... it was pretty much 90% Brian. That's a huge amount of work to shoulder, so to me it's no wonder the guy cracked from the pressure.

BTW, I concede that the others each were very talented in their own way and later did some decent songs of their own in the 1970s and 1980s.

 

Don't forget Chuck Britz, he was like Brian's right hand man in the early years...

 

This was on BBC last night, out of all the recent biopics this was by far the best especially with the music segments.
Desperately sad, but hopeful story about a true genius.
All leads were great in difficult roles.

 

My psychiatric rehab class watched this movie today. Afterwards we discussed the film, especially the portrayal of his mental illness. The info card at the end of the movie said that the paranoid schizophrenic diagnosis had been overturned by doctors at UCLA, but it did not specify what diagnosis replaced it (which we thought was odd). I was pleased they were able to use authentic Beach Boys recordings instead of a sound-alike band. One of the clients in our class insisted the actors did their own singing, even though we tried to explain to her that's how the original recordings sounded and the actors were lip-synching.

 

Paul Dano did sing in the film, he also learned and played the Piano part to 'GOK' by Darian Sahanaja of Brian's band.
That part is correct.
Some of performances are from 'original recordings', and at the time, recently discovered 'tracking' tapes.
Brian's post diagnosis has been explained post Landy.

 

Is it fair to compare a movie where two totally different-looking actors play Brian Wilson, on the same criteria of a film that casts six different actors in the role of Bob Dylan...?