Love and Mercy - News and Reviews - First clip is out.

[Shady]

Thanks for posting the Elle article JCM, great read.

[37!ws]

Just got back from a free preview of L&M with a Q&A with BW and Cusack. The Q&A wasn't much -- mainly a bunch of twentysomethings asking the usual things bidding musicians/artists ask, but the movie? Holy good God...my wife and I, even after seeing it for free, will be first in line to pay to see it on June 5. They FINALLY did Brian very well with a biopic. I do suspect there's a lot of Hollywood drama added, but they all did their homework; you can even point to many scenes and lines of dialog and can tell exactly what was studied to nail it.

Man, what an amazing flick...

[18thofMay]

Cusack has been hammering the tweets also tonight or my today. I admire the man for his work, but his approach to Brian and the sincere nature of it is brilliant. It is difficult from afar to gauge the quality of a man but the perception I get is of a genuine and loving man, who whilst not looking like a fan boy is clearly admires Brian and his work for what it is. Cusack to me seems as sincere and as loving as Brian's music! Thanks John!

[Bud Shaver]

During tonight's David Letterman Show (May 18)  there was a commercial for Love and Mercy. It was no longer than a minute, possibly 30 seconds.

...in theaters June 5th

Might have featured I Get Around for the whole spot.

Anyone else see it during any other programs?

[37!ws]

It was mentioned very, very briefly when Paul Giamatti was on Kimmel to plug another movie.

[The Shift]

In UK cinemas July 10, with a projected DVD and/or Blu-Ray release between October and January.

This according to filmdates.co.uk

[coco1997]

Saw the movie last night in Chicago. Brian and Cusack did a short Q&A after the movie. Most were typical questions I’m sure BW and JC have heard a thousand times before. The first questioner rambled on a bit long for which Brian bluntly cut him off with “Yeah, your time is up” which elicited huge laughter from the audience. Another audience member asked Brian if there was anything from his life he wish had been included in the film but wasn’t. He mentioned that when he was eight he discovered R&B music which was a huge influence on the Beach Boys. Cusack added that if they’d included every important moment/period in Brian’s life the movie would have been 20 hours long.

Brian was also asked about the Surf Squad SNL skit. After thinking on it Brian responded, “I weighed 280 pounds that day. I went out in my robe and fell off the surfboard!” The last question was about Brian’s favorite menu item at In ‘n Out.

Now for the movie itself: I absolutely adored it. The film opens with a whirlwind recap of the first few years of the Beach Boys’ career before jumping right in and introducing us to John Cusack’s Brian Wilson. The cutting between Dano and Cusack’s segments was seamless and the recreation of the Pet Sounds/SMiLE sessions was nothing short of jaw-dropping. The old studio footage was practically reproduced shot for shot and even had that slightly shaky cam/documentary type feel. On that note, the young man playing Mike Love absolutely nailed it. I did find it odd though that the rest of the Boys were pretty much relegated to background roles. I don’t think Al’s character even had a single line.

Paul Dano is mesmerizing as the younger Brian. I appreciate the decision to have him sing live on camera and blend his vocals with the original BW leads and harmonies. Obviously he’s no Brian but he holds his own throughout the film and having him lip sync would have taken me right out of the movie.
 
Cusack’s deadpanning BW elicited his fair share of laugh at loud moments from the audience, including a line about matzo ball soup. But I think the most triumphant audience response was when Landy gets served at the dealership. All in all Cusack’s performance is so engaging that not once did I dwell on his lack of resemblance to Brian Wilson.

As for the rest of the cast…Elizabeth Banks is stunning.  (There’s a moment of near-nudity that made my heart skip a beat). Landy is fittingly sleazy but I wish Paul Giamatti had more screen time.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but “One Kind of Love” plays on the car radio as Brian and Melinda are driving to BW’s childhood home. VERY meta!

[KDS]

Can't wait.  Less than three weeks!!!

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

Saw the movie last night in Chicago. Brian and Cusack did a short Q&A after the movie. Most were typical questions I’m sure BW and JC have heard a thousand times before. The first questioner rambled on a bit long for which Brian bluntly cut him off with “Yeah, your time is up” which elicited huge laughter from the audience. Another audience member asked Brian if there was anything from his life he wish had been included in the film but wasn’t. He mentioned that when he was eight he discovered R&B music which was a huge influence on the Beach Boys. Cusack added that if they’d included every important moment/period in Brian’s life the movie would have been 20 hours long.

Brian was also asked about the Surf Squad SNL skit. After thinking on it Brian responded, “I weighed 280 pounds that day. I went out in my robe and fell off the surfboard!” The last question was about Brian’s favorite menu item at In ‘n Out.

Now for the movie itself: I absolutely adored it. The film opens with a whirlwind recap of the first few years of the Beach Boys’ career before jumping right in and introducing us to John Cusack’s Brian Wilson. The cutting between Dano and Cusack’s segments was seamless and the recreation of the Pet Sounds/SMiLE sessions was nothing short of jaw-dropping. The old studio footage was practically reproduced shot for shot and even had that slightly shaky cam/documentary type feel. On that note, the young man playing Mike Love absolutely nailed it. I did find it odd though that the rest of the Boys were pretty much relegated to background roles. I don’t think Al’s character even had a single line.

Paul Dano is mesmerizing as the younger Brian. I appreciate the decision to have him sing live on camera and blend his vocals with the original BW leads and harmonies. Obviously he’s no Brian but he holds his own throughout the film and having him lip sync would have taken me right out of the movie.
 
Cusack’s deadpanning BW elicited his fair share of laugh at loud moments from the audience, including a line about matzo ball soup. But I think the most triumphant audience response was when Landy gets served at the dealership. All in all Cusack’s performance is so engaging that not once did I dwell on his lack of resemblance to Brian Wilson.

As for the rest of the cast…Elizabeth Banks is stunning.  (There’s a moment of near-nudity that made my heart skip a beat). Landy is fittingly sleazy but I wish Paul Giamatti had more screen time.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but “One Kind of Love” plays on the car radio as Brian and Melinda are driving to BW’s childhood home. VERY meta!

Thanks, Coco.  Nicely done review.  As fans, I think we're always going to want to see more of this or that event, or this or that character included- our favorite moments.  The good news is, as you indicated, the story works, and of course, that's the crux of any film.  And as you quoted John Cusack saying, it would have had to been 20 hours long to do all the Brian stories justice.

[Emdeeh]

I saw an ad for the L&M film on Atlanta TV last night.

[37!ws]

The last question was about Brian’s favorite menu item at In ‘n Out.

You're welcome.

[Lee Marshall]

All I know is there is one theatre [multi screens too thank goodness] within' 25 minutes of where I live.  The rest are about an hour + away.  June 5...'Love and Mercy' is coming to a theatre near ME.  I will either be there on the afternoon or early evening of the 5th.  Except for an early report from Howie and Ray...I've read virtually nothing about it...'cept that Emdeeh saw an ad for it on TV.

That's all I want to know.  I don't mind hearing a few clips from an album before I buy it but way back in the day while my buddy and I played 21 [basketball] he told me about this great/funny movie he'd gone to see...and all about the various and sundry funny bits while we shot hoops..  I went to see it and didn't enjoy it as there were NO surprises.  That was 'M*A*S*H'.  I ain't gonna do that with 'Love and Mercy'.
 
I hear that it has 'something' to do with music.

Maybe some info about some guy named Wilson?

[I never really liked 'Last Kiss' ]

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

All I know is there is one theatre [multi screens too thank goodness] within' 25 minutes of where I live.  The rest are about an hour + away.  June 5...'Love and Mercy' is coming to a theatre near ME.  I will either be there on the afternoon or early evening of the 5th.  Except for an early report from Howie and Ray...I've read virtually nothing about it...'cept that Emdeeh saw an ad for it on TV.

That's all I want to know.  I don't mind hearing a few clips from an album before I buy it but way back in the day while my buddy and I played 21 [basketball] he told me about this great/funny movie he'd gone to see...and all about the various and sundry funny bits while we shot hoops..  I went to see it and didn't enjoy it as there were NO surprises.  That was 'M*A*S*H'.  I ain't gonna do that with 'Love and Mercy'.
 
I hear that it has 'something' to do with music.

Maybe some info about some guy named Wilson?

[I never really liked 'Last Kiss' ]

Good plan AddSome.  I think I went in with too many expectations.  I still loved it a lot and certainly wasn't disappointed.  But probably would have been emotionally impacted more if I'd known little or nothing; thus, I offered a spoiler alert before my review.

[sea of tunes]

Quick interview with Bill Pohlad.  About halfway through he mentions scenes that were filmed but left out of the finished product.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-gypsynesters/love--mercy-the-beach-boys_b_7308780.html

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

Quick interview with Bill Pohlad.  About halfway through he mentions scenes that were filmed but left out of the finished product.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-gypsynesters/love--mercy-the-beach-boys_b_7308780.html

That WAS really interesting - worth a listen - thanks JCM...

[sea of tunes]

Two TV commercial spots (from the U.S) posted on the official YT channel.

http://youtu.be/0yPhr1Bzhmk


http://youtu.be/0e8Ozhu26cA

[southbay]

The last question was about Brian’s favorite menu item at In ‘n Out.

You're welcome.

well?

[Amanda Hart]

I was at the Chicago screening Monday. The movie is so great. I won't get into a crazy-detailed review, because of my stupid life I haven't digested as much information about the film as I would have 3 years ago and I actually think not having a lot of information about it really helped me get in to the whole experience. I'm looking forward to it's wider release though to really discuss it.

There are some choices I'm a little critical of here or there, but the overall product is pretty amazing. Cusack was terrific, and I would have never thought I'd say this going in, but I wish there was more 80s/90s era - those were the most compelling parts of the film. I was right in the front row, next to the green room where Brian and Cusack were. As the movie was winding down there was a flourish of activity back there and for the last 20 minutes or so I could see Brian sitting in there waiting. It was so surreal. I was wearing heels, so when he stood up when his name was announced we were eye-to-eye. I smiled at him, he smiled back, I mouthed "thank you", he nodded while Cusack was helping him walk to the stage. When they got settled I tried to take some pictures, but my phone camera isn't great to begin with and I was kind of shaky from that experience and I'm 2 weeks into an IVF cycle, so I'm prone to emotion right now anyway.

Like everyone else said, the Q&A was not really anything to write home about. Audio from it was being recorded at least by the theater, so they may put it out in some capacity. That was the first time I had seen Brian in person that wasn't for a performance, and he seemed pretty at ease. He gave more detailed answers than I thought he would. The moderator did a great job asking a few questions and then they opened it up to the audience. They were all pretty gushy and rambly, and there was a distinct crowd there for Cusack and a distinct crowd there for Brian. Every question asked of him, Cusack turned it back around into praise for Brian. You can tell he is legitimately passionate about Brian's music and it's really nice to see. Probably the best off the cuff moment was when the first guy said he listened to Smile every night and Brian said "Good." I also enjoyed how he waved at everyone when they were walking away from the mic. For those of you who keep track of this sort of thing, he did check his watch once.

I think the thing I'm happiest about is that this is all happening now while Brian can enjoy it. There was a lot of love for him in that room and I hope he know how much people really do care for him and love his work.

[GoodVibrations33]

Contest to see an advance screening in Canada:  http://www.chrisd.ca/2015/05/19/love-and-mercy-contest-movie-premiere-tickets-giveaway-winnipeg/

[sea of tunes]

I was at the Chicago screening Monday. The movie is so great. I won't get into a crazy-detailed review, because of my stupid life I haven't digested as much information about the film as I would have 3 years ago and I actually think not having a lot of information about it really helped me get in to the whole experience. I'm looking forward to it's wider release though to really discuss it.

There are some choices I'm a little critical of here or there, but the overall product is pretty amazing. Cusack was terrific, and I would have never thought I'd say this going in, but I wish there was more 80s/90s era - those were the most compelling parts of the film. I was right in the front row, next to the green room where Brian and Cusack were. As the movie was winding down there was a flourish of activity back there and for the last 20 minutes or so I could see Brian sitting in there waiting. It was so surreal. I was wearing heels, so when he stood up when his name was announced we were eye-to-eye. I smiled at him, he smiled back, I mouthed "thank you", he nodded while Cusack was helping him walk to the stage. When they got settled I tried to take some pictures, but my phone camera isn't great to begin with and I was kind of shaky from that experience and I'm 2 weeks into an IVF cycle, so I'm prone to emotion right now anyway.

Like everyone else said, the Q&A was not really anything to write home about. Audio from it was being recorded at least by the theater, so they may put it out in some capacity. That was the first time I had seen Brian in person that wasn't for a performance, and he seemed pretty at ease. He gave more detailed answers than I thought he would. The moderator did a great job asking a few questions and then they opened it up to the audience. They were all pretty gushy and rambly, and there was a distinct crowd there for Cusack and a distinct crowd there for Brian. Every question asked of him, Cusack turned it back around into praise for Brian. You can tell he is legitimately passionate about Brian's music and it's really nice to see. Probably the best off the cuff moment was when the first guy said he listened to Smile every night and Brian said "Good." I also enjoyed how he waved at everyone when they were walking away from the mic. For those of you who keep track of this sort of thing, he did check his watch once.

I think the thing I'm happiest about is that this is all happening now while Brian can enjoy it. There was a lot of love for him in that room and I hope he know how much people really do care for him and love his work.

You had me at 'wearing heels', j/k.  Thanks for sharing the experience from the screening.

[37!ws]

The last question was about Brian’s favorite menu item at In ‘n Out.

You're welcome.

well?

I asked on behalf of my wife...we were in line with a friend before the show and we were talking about things to ask Brian, and my wife said, "I really wanna know what he likes to order at In-N-Out!" (We're big fans. We always get a Double Double when we happen upon one in our travels.) Well, my wife was too chickens**t to get up after the film (that and it moved her so much that she just...could barely breathe!)...

I asked. Brian turned to John Cusack and I could see that he said something like "What do I order where??" And Cusack clearly said "At In-N-Out Burger." Then looked at me and said, "Usually one with everything." Kinda half-disappointing...I was hoping that he would have said something like a Four By Four or even a Double Double...but the response was generic. Oh well.

When I got to the mic, the moderator said they had time for one more question. I briefly considered surrendering my place in line, but I reconsidered because I was afraid that some twit would ask, "Brian, when you write a song, what comes first? The music or the lyrics?" I stood my ground.

[southbay]

well, that sounds like Brian.

[Ed Roach]

The venerable LA Weekly has a banner this week that reads "10 Summer Movies That We Hope Don't Suck", and I hoped Love & Mercy would be one of them.  Sure enough, it was the first one mentioned:

In the decadent 21st century, the summer movie season now sprawls from March through December. (Star Wars: Episode VII is due to awaken the Force Dec. 18; every prior Star Wars picture has come out Memorial Day weekend.) But we'll stick to tradition and call Memorial Day the start of summer, when the movies are optimized to lure vacationing schoolkids and international ticket buyers back for repeat exposures, and no block is safe from potential bustage. The Age of Ultron, it's traditionally called.

Here are 10 films arriving between now and Labor Day that we hope will offer something more than just reliable air conditioning.

Love & Mercy (June 5): On the heels of last summer's overlooked James Brown portrait Get On Up, here's a study of a musical genius of the same era more dysfunctional than Soul Brother No. 1 ever was: Beach Boy Brian Wilson. He's played by Paul Dano in the 1960s, as he toils on his masterpiece, Pet Sounds, and John Cusack in the 1980s, when he was under the sway of manager, collaborator, alleged ghostwriter and predatory psychologist Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). Landy eventually had his license revoked and was legally barred from any contact with Wilson. Elizabeth Banks plays Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, the woman who helped drag Wilson out from under Landy's thumb. Screenwriter Oren Moverman penned the experimental Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, so we know he doesn't revere the boomer music gods too much to do anything interesting with them. Many who caught this picture at last year's Toronto International Film Festival found it to be another successful evasion of the clichés that often sink movies about popular musicians. Confidence: 65 percent.

(here's the rest of the article:)  http://www.laweekly.com/film/10-summer-movies-that-we-hope-dont-suck-5596403

[sea of tunes]

Bill Pohlad wants 'Love & Mercy' to take you inside the genius of Beach Boy Brian Wilson

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/bill-pohlad-wants-love-mercy-to-take-you-inside-the-genius-of-beach-boy-brian-wilson/single-page

Biopics are a double-edged sword. On one hand, carving out a larger-than-life persona on the big screen drives iconography and extends a legacy. On the other, the inherent trap of the "greatest hits" approach, a structure often leaned on just because of the sheer amount of information you can carry across, can lead to a lack of dimension, sapping the humanity out of a subject. Bill Pohlad was aware of those pitfalls when he set out to make "Love & Mercy," a cinematic portrait of Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, and he avoided them expertly.

The film tells Wilson's story in two eras. Paul Dano plays the younger, his musical brilliance on display as he puts together landmark albums like "Pet Sounds" and feverishly pushes the boundaries of popular music. John Cusack plays the older, trapped in an emotional cage, over-medicated and with seemingly no one truly looking after his best interests. The result is a dissection of genius and an attempt to understand how it ticks.

I talked to Pohlad recently about all of that, about construction a sonic environment with a sound mix that puts you in Wilson's head, about what the music legend has in common with another genius Pohlad has collaborated with (Terrence Malick) and a whole lot more. Read through the back and forth below.

"Love & Mercy" opens June 5.

***

The interview begins at this point, and it's fairly lengthy but still a very, very sustaining read if you are interested in the movie and its filmmaker and his process.  Also there's a very interesting bit about comparing Brian Wilson with filmmaker Terrence Malick.  As an abiding fan of both, I smiled fairly big reading it because I had thought much the same before, myself.

[sea of tunes]

Woot!

Finally found a theater in my city (Columbus, Ohio) that will be playing Love & Mercy.  The good old Drexel.  BK (that's, Before Kids) I was quite a film connoisseur and would visit there probably once or twice a month, easy.  I still feel like it will play in a multiplex but at least now I'm assured of seeing it on opening day.

http://www.drexel.net/index.php/coming_soon