Few musical acts are as widely beloved as the Beach Boys. Under the visionary leadership of singer-songwriter Brian Wilson, the California surf combo redefined the sound of American popular music in the 1960s. But their joyful harmonies and ingenious arrangements concealed Wilson’s private struggle with addiction and mental illness, and by the early seventies he had descended into drug-fuelled isolation. Love & Mercy is an intimate rendering of Wilson’s mercurial genius, illustrating both his musical mastery and the psychological pain it disguised.
Dispensing with staid biopic conventions, director Bill Pohlad deftly intercuts between two key periods in Wilson’s life, shining a double spotlight on his rise to stardom with the Beach Boys in the sixties and his remarkable eighties solo resurgence. Paul Dano and John Cusack both give superb performances as younger and older iterations of this 20th century icon.
For your chance to win Love & Mercy on DVD, simply let us know your favourite performance from an actor or actress taking on a music icon, and why. Email us at
competitions@filmink.com.au with your full name and postal address.
Comp closes on November 4.
