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Released by: Lionsgate
Released on: September 15th, 2015.
Director: Bill Pohlad
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Paul Dano, John Cusack
Year: 2015
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The Movie:
Directed by Bill Pohlad, 2015's Love & Mercy takes a look at the life of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Rather than do a chronological biography of the man, however, the film explores two very different but completely intertwined parts of his life, they being his creative peak in the sixties and then his problems with paranoid schizophrenia twenty years down the road. The scenes that are set in the sixties, where Wilson is played by Paul Dano, contrast in interesting ways with those set in the eighties, where Wilson is played by John Cusack, and they create a pretty interesting portrait of the man.
The sixties stuff shows great attention to detail and Dano does a fantastic job here. His part of the character peaks during the scenes where we see him writing Pet Sounds. Here Dano, whose Wilson already shows the scars of his rough childhood and abusive upbringing, really pulls you in. He looks enough like Wilson and like Cusack to succeed on the resemblance alone but the truth is, he nails it. Cusack, as the older Wilson struggling under the care of Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti) and then eventually finding salvation in the form of true love with Melinda Lebetter (Elizabeth Banks), is also very strong but these latter scenes lack the excitement of the sixties material.
Again, however, the contrast is interesting. We see Wilson at the height of his powers creating what would eventually become recognized as a masterpiece, and we see him at his low point, crumbling under Landy's supposed care and hitting rock bottom. Seeing the character create is inherently more interesting than the relationship drama that unfolds between Wilson and Landy and between Wilson and Lebetter. Of course, that part of the story is completely necessary and it is quite well done, it just isn't as much fun to watch. Banks is quite good as the love interesting while Giamatti steals a few scenes as the shifty shrink in charge of Wilson.
But again, the contrast is important. The sixties footage looks great, it's bright and clean and colorful and the attention to detail shown in the movie is both impressive and admirable. The eighties material feels just as authentic but is understandably toned done a bit in terms of the visual style. The movie intercuts between these two eras well. The different characters that play different roles in the development of both Wilson's crowning musical achievement and his emergence from his serious mental issues are well established and the movie flows quite nicely. Not surprisingly, it also makes great use of plenty of Wilson's music and there are moments here, when that music kicks in, that you get some very welcome chills.
Hats off to Bill Pohlad and company. This is very well done, a bio-pic that exceeds expectations, that tells things in a manner that is very matter-of-fact but still visually and thematically interesting without going overboard or sensationalizing certain parts of the story.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Love & Mercy arrives on Blu-ray in AVC encoded 1080p high definition framed at 1.78.1 widescreen and it looks excellent. The image is as pristine as you'd expect it to be given how recent it is, while fine detail is consistently impressive. Color reproduction is spot on and there are moments during certain parts of the movie where they really pop. We also get nice inky blacks and good shadow detail here too. Skin tones look great, nice and accurate, and there's never any waxiness or smearing. Contrast is solid and aside from a little bit of shimmering here and there, the image is a very strong one.
Audio options are provided in English language DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The DTS-HD 5.1 mix spreads things about as you'd assume it would, with plenty of surround activity on display throughout the movie. Music, not surprisingly, is a big deal to the mix and it sounds excellent here as well. There are no problems with any hiss or distortion and balance is perfect. Bass response is solid here too. Optional subtitles are provided in English, English SDH and Spanish.
Extras start off with an audio commentary with director/producer Bill Pohlad and executive producer/co-writer Oren Moverman. This is a pretty interesting track as it not only covers the scene specific trivia and 'who did what' moments that are part of the making of the movie but they also detail Wilson's involvement in the picture and their thoughts on what it was like trying to get his story done properly. It's a well-paced discussion with a lot of good information packed into it.
Also on hand are two featurettes, the first of which is A California Story: Creating The Look Of Love & Mercy, which spends just under eleven minutes talking about the importance of the visuals in the film and showing off what went into getting the period detail right. The second featurette is the twenty-five minute long A-Side/B-Side: Portraying The Life Of Brian Wilson featurette that is made up of interviews with Paul Dano, John Cusack, Brian Wilson, Bill Pohlad and a few of the producers. Here they cover the two interweaving storylines that make up the movie, what it took to get Wilson's nuances and personality quirks right in the film, the importance of music in the film and their thoughts on the finished product.
Rounding out the extras are seven and a half minutes of deleted scenes, animated menus and chapter selection. Previews for a few other Lionsgate properties play before the menu screen loads and packaged inside the case along with the disc is a download code for a Digital Copy of the movie.
The Final Word:
You don't have to be a fan of The Beach Boys to appreciate what Bill Pohlad and company have accomplished with Love & Mercy because when you get right down to it, this is simply a very well-acted and beautifully put together take on one of pop music history's most unusual stories. It should transcend musical tastes for those reasons. Lionsgate's Blu-ray contains some pretty decent extras and on top of that it looks and sounds excellent. Don't let this one fly under your radar - it's a very well made film.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
