Big Picture Big Sound

Where There's a Wilson, There's a Way

Like many creative geniuses, Brian Wilson has suffered from mental issues. That is a sad reality, but would he have been able to craft the magic of "Pet Sounds" without something off-kilter in his mind? After all, the album features pop songs in atypical majors, with barking dogs and strings in open pianos plucked with bobby pins. He likely wouldn't have even created the record if not for debilitating panic attacks that disrupted his tour with the Beach Boys.

It's also crazy that "Pet Sounds" was initially a commercial failure, and that it took this long to make a biopic about Wilson's life. "Love & Mercy" does his story justice, jumping from the '60s when he worked on the album (with Paul Dano as young Brian), to the '80s, when he met his new wife (with John Cusack as the older version). It's a unique spin on a true story, with incredible music at every turn.

Director Bill Pohlad decided to have Dano and Cusack work independently, keeping them from mimicking each other's impressions, so it seems like two different people. They don't look a thing alike and they don't act the same. Both of them turn in great performances though, with the slight edge going to Dano, who is one of the strangest, most-electrifying young actors around. (Just look at his wacko preacher role in "There Will Be Blood.") Even the side characters, such as Paul Giamatti as his uncaring caretaker, make an impact.

Written by Oren Moverman ("I'm Not There") and Michael A. Lerner, "Love & Mercy" should satisfy Beach Boys fans and anyone who enjoys quality movies that don't involve high-speed chases or special effects extravaganzas. Wilson and his wife Melinda (played beautifully by Elizabeth Banks) consulted on the film so everything here really happened, even some scenes that seem made up (like her nearly hitting him with her car after they were estranged). His psychosis in the earlier years is shown in interesting ways: At one point, he only hears a racket when he puts on a pair of silent headphones, and the sound of people's silverware clanking at the dinner table makes him shriek.

What works so well about "Love & Mercy" is its strong emotional center and the wonderful music. It's impressive that "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows" and "Sloop John B" are all on the same album, and that they were invented during such a dark period of Wilson's life. The movie also takes it a step further and spotlights great songs such as "Good Vibrations," with cello strings played like "a propeller." With a creative approach, powerful lead performances and a killer soundtrack, there's plenty to love about "Love & Mercy."