Thoughts on the "Love and Mercy" Biopic
Jan 3, 2019 4:18:28 GMT -5
WillJC, lonelysummer, and 3 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2019 4:18:28 GMT -5
[This is an old repost from PSF. I didn't see a separate place for film reviews so I'm just gonna share here.]
It took me a long time until I got around to watching this. I think the reason I had put it off for so long is because I was worried about being disappointed--even with the good reviews it got. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed but that said I wasn't blown away either. I'd say an 7 out of 10. Here are my thoughts:
This would have worked better as a 5 to 10 episode miniseries on HBO or Netflix or something. I find myself saying that more and more these days. Movies are still great and still have their place, but in the era of really quality TV programming we've been enjoying the last 10 years, I think trying to cram these big stories into a 90 to 150 minute time frame is silly.
Going off that, I wanted to see more of their origins as a band. I wanted to see the making of Today!. I wanted to see Brian actually tripping on acid. I wanted to see more SMiLE (which is the defining moment, the climax, of his career). I wanted to see the gradual withdrawal in the late sixties and seventies. I wanted to see 15BO and Love You. And I wanted to end with the climactic tour of SMiLE capping it all off in the end. They picked the two most dramatic arcs in Brian's life, but there's so much missing. The two stories feel so disconnected without those connecting years.
None of the other Beach Boys have a character besides Mike, who's the one dimensional bad guy. Now, I genuinely believe Mike said (words to the effect of) everything he does in this movie. We all know now he wasn't the "villain" he's often been made out to be, but neither is the recent whitewashing of his role in the story accurate either. He was antagonistic to Brian's more "out there" music and that's a fact. Anyway, I appreciate that they didn't shy away from depicting that about him, but even I wanted a little more of his good side watching this. The GV piano scene was nice, but it wasn't quite enough for me. And the other guys might as well not even exist.
I wanted more of Brian and Tony shooting the shit, talking about their feelings in the sandbox. Same with Brian and VDP, but in the tent smoking hash and talking philosophy and the meaning of life. A few "slow" scenes like that, and some indirect insights into how Brian thinks, would have been great. He's too one dimensional "Im eccentric and slightly unstable!!" Too much of an idiot-savant. It would have been nice to see Brian talk about his feelings which ultimately went into Pet Sounds, and his deep musings on life which went into SMiLE.
That said, my issues with how Brian comes off are NOT a reflection on Dano or Cusack. I thought both of them did a phenomenal job. I see Cusack getting criticized a lot, but I thought he nailed older Brian's mannerisms down perfectly.
Murry and Gene Landy were played wonderfully as well. It's just that I didn't know who they were. If you aren't already familiar with Brian and the story of the band, you'll be completely lost. I don't think the name of Marilyn or VDP are even spoken once throughout the movie.
SMiLE isn't given the respect it deserves. I know Brian was legit coming apart at the seams during its recording, but the music is fantastic, a lot of thought went into it, and according to everyone who was there even Brian's wilder ideas had seem real practicality behind them. Just watching this movie it makes him out to be a rambling lunatic "Chanting!!! And Fitness!! and Children!!" when really it was so much more than that. I don't think his breakdown was built up to as gradually as it could have been either. Yes, he's troubled and insecure throughout the whole movie, but the screaming out of nowhere about Phil Spector seemed unbelievable considering there wasn't much buildup to it. I thought the "we're too shallow for the deep end" comment was pretty cheap as well. There are so many great scenes and anecdotes associated with the project that it disappointed me they weren't explored.
The timing and descriptions of Brian's acid trips was off. He did acid before Pet Sounds, not during. And as far as I know, he never claimed to have "seen God." As an advocate for psychedelics for therapeutic and self-affirming uses, I was ticked at that scene. I really dislike the stereotypes associated with it in movies and media. The whole "see God" thing and over the top depictions of tripping where bugs bunny comes out of the ceiling type of crap. I would have liked to have seen a Mad Men type of trip depicted instead. Just my opinion and this is a minor quibble.
I loved Melinda and how her intro to the madness was depicted. If this had to be a film and not a TV miniseries, I think they should have used this as a framing device more. But I thought the scene where Landy comes into the Car Dealership was ridiculously over the top. There's no way that manager wouldn't have called the cops if that happened.
There's not enough resolution of either arc. We don't get that dramatic moment where Brian calls off SMiLE, where Mike and VDP fight over Cabin Essence or the Fire incident happens. VDP just shuffles off and later Brian mentions off-hand "oh yeah, Smiley Smile." We don't see Landy get his day in court and told by a judge to stay away. Each plot just sort of tapers off with no real satisfying conclusion. Them coming to a dead end in the road...I just don't see how that's a satisfying climax to the story. It really needs to end with the SMiLE tour. I swear I'm not just saying that as an uber SMiLE-fan, it really is just the most dramatic way to do it. The young Brian story ends with SMiLE coming apart, so it only makes sense the old Brian story should end with its completion. That's how you tie the two stories together. Otherwise...it just feels like kind of a mess.
So overall, a pretty good film but very flawed. The acting/casting, sets and costumes are perfect. The problem is the writing leaves a lot to be desired, assuming you know his story already and filled with some anticlimaxes. I enjoyed it a lot, but it's not the definitive portrayal of Brian's life on film. Maybe someday, someone else will take another crack at it.
It took me a long time until I got around to watching this. I think the reason I had put it off for so long is because I was worried about being disappointed--even with the good reviews it got. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed but that said I wasn't blown away either. I'd say an 7 out of 10. Here are my thoughts:
This would have worked better as a 5 to 10 episode miniseries on HBO or Netflix or something. I find myself saying that more and more these days. Movies are still great and still have their place, but in the era of really quality TV programming we've been enjoying the last 10 years, I think trying to cram these big stories into a 90 to 150 minute time frame is silly.
Going off that, I wanted to see more of their origins as a band. I wanted to see the making of Today!. I wanted to see Brian actually tripping on acid. I wanted to see more SMiLE (which is the defining moment, the climax, of his career). I wanted to see the gradual withdrawal in the late sixties and seventies. I wanted to see 15BO and Love You. And I wanted to end with the climactic tour of SMiLE capping it all off in the end. They picked the two most dramatic arcs in Brian's life, but there's so much missing. The two stories feel so disconnected without those connecting years.
None of the other Beach Boys have a character besides Mike, who's the one dimensional bad guy. Now, I genuinely believe Mike said (words to the effect of) everything he does in this movie. We all know now he wasn't the "villain" he's often been made out to be, but neither is the recent whitewashing of his role in the story accurate either. He was antagonistic to Brian's more "out there" music and that's a fact. Anyway, I appreciate that they didn't shy away from depicting that about him, but even I wanted a little more of his good side watching this. The GV piano scene was nice, but it wasn't quite enough for me. And the other guys might as well not even exist.
I wanted more of Brian and Tony shooting the shit, talking about their feelings in the sandbox. Same with Brian and VDP, but in the tent smoking hash and talking philosophy and the meaning of life. A few "slow" scenes like that, and some indirect insights into how Brian thinks, would have been great. He's too one dimensional "Im eccentric and slightly unstable!!" Too much of an idiot-savant. It would have been nice to see Brian talk about his feelings which ultimately went into Pet Sounds, and his deep musings on life which went into SMiLE.
That said, my issues with how Brian comes off are NOT a reflection on Dano or Cusack. I thought both of them did a phenomenal job. I see Cusack getting criticized a lot, but I thought he nailed older Brian's mannerisms down perfectly.
Murry and Gene Landy were played wonderfully as well. It's just that I didn't know who they were. If you aren't already familiar with Brian and the story of the band, you'll be completely lost. I don't think the name of Marilyn or VDP are even spoken once throughout the movie.
SMiLE isn't given the respect it deserves. I know Brian was legit coming apart at the seams during its recording, but the music is fantastic, a lot of thought went into it, and according to everyone who was there even Brian's wilder ideas had seem real practicality behind them. Just watching this movie it makes him out to be a rambling lunatic "Chanting!!! And Fitness!! and Children!!" when really it was so much more than that. I don't think his breakdown was built up to as gradually as it could have been either. Yes, he's troubled and insecure throughout the whole movie, but the screaming out of nowhere about Phil Spector seemed unbelievable considering there wasn't much buildup to it. I thought the "we're too shallow for the deep end" comment was pretty cheap as well. There are so many great scenes and anecdotes associated with the project that it disappointed me they weren't explored.
The timing and descriptions of Brian's acid trips was off. He did acid before Pet Sounds, not during. And as far as I know, he never claimed to have "seen God." As an advocate for psychedelics for therapeutic and self-affirming uses, I was ticked at that scene. I really dislike the stereotypes associated with it in movies and media. The whole "see God" thing and over the top depictions of tripping where bugs bunny comes out of the ceiling type of crap. I would have liked to have seen a Mad Men type of trip depicted instead. Just my opinion and this is a minor quibble.
I loved Melinda and how her intro to the madness was depicted. If this had to be a film and not a TV miniseries, I think they should have used this as a framing device more. But I thought the scene where Landy comes into the Car Dealership was ridiculously over the top. There's no way that manager wouldn't have called the cops if that happened.
There's not enough resolution of either arc. We don't get that dramatic moment where Brian calls off SMiLE, where Mike and VDP fight over Cabin Essence or the Fire incident happens. VDP just shuffles off and later Brian mentions off-hand "oh yeah, Smiley Smile." We don't see Landy get his day in court and told by a judge to stay away. Each plot just sort of tapers off with no real satisfying conclusion. Them coming to a dead end in the road...I just don't see how that's a satisfying climax to the story. It really needs to end with the SMiLE tour. I swear I'm not just saying that as an uber SMiLE-fan, it really is just the most dramatic way to do it. The young Brian story ends with SMiLE coming apart, so it only makes sense the old Brian story should end with its completion. That's how you tie the two stories together. Otherwise...it just feels like kind of a mess.
So overall, a pretty good film but very flawed. The acting/casting, sets and costumes are perfect. The problem is the writing leaves a lot to be desired, assuming you know his story already and filled with some anticlimaxes. I enjoyed it a lot, but it's not the definitive portrayal of Brian's life on film. Maybe someday, someone else will take another crack at it.
You're a great person BBF.'' - iluvleniloud about me and I.
