Love & Mercy

Love & Mercy is one of the most convincing depictions of the creative process and the effects of mental illness I've seen in a long time.

It is (among its many virtues) wonderfully not boilerplate.

That so much of it rings true is a credit to the film-makers; that Wilson lived some (if not all) of it is a reminder of his matchless alchemical magic.

It's bittersweet and melancholic, always captivating, holding the irrefutable truth of a pop lyric.

Pohlad's movie lacks the kind of multi-layered texture it purports to celebrate. That said, it's still full of mind-altering potential.

Love & Mercy, Bill Pohlad's ingenious biopic of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, approaches its subject from a very unusual direction... ear-first.

There's a lot of history packed in here... but director Bill Pohald is just as interested in exploring Wilson's creative process...

“Love & Mercy” is a very inward-looking biopic. It is much more interested in showing the inner brilliance of Brian Wilson on a creative level as well as the mental and emotional turmoil that sends his life careening out of control.

A creepy, terrific performance from Paul Giamatti as the controlling, manipulative Landy.

A terrifying but humane portrait of mental illness and a fascinating glimpse into the creative process of one of history's greatest musicians.