Movie Review: LOVE & MERCY (PG13)

Jun 10, 2015 06:00 am

I am not sure how factually accurate this biopic about Brian Wilson, the visionary composer of The Beach Boys, is.

But I am intrigued by how mentally tortured the genius was, from his early hallucinations to being emotionally manipulated by his psychiatrist-turned-legal guardian Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti).

Paul Dano and John Cusack play Wilson at different times in his career - the former as the younger musician in the mid-60s while Cusack takes over in the 80s.

Both are terrific, with Dano skilfully showing Wilson's rise and fall into mental illness, while Cusack deftly portrays a semi-zombified Wilson struggling with reality before being rejuvenated by protective girlfriend-turned-wife Melinda (Elizabeth Banks).

Dano totally owns the show, particularly the moments in the studio where he orchestrates the recording of Pet Sounds, now considered one of the greatest rock albums of all time.