Directed by Bill Pohlad • 2015 • United Kingdom
Starring Paul Dano, John Cusack, Paul Giamatti
The rare musician biopic to compellingly convey the process of artistic creation, this sublime portrait of Beach Boys visionary Brian Wilson jumps back and forth in time between the 1960s, as a young Wilson pushes himself to the brink to realize his magnum opus, “Pet Sounds,” and the 1980s, when he attempts to rebuild his life after years of mental-health struggles. Featuring two extraordinary incarnations of Wilson from Paul Dano and John Cusack, LOVE & MERCY captures both the obsessive genius and aching fragility that has given his art its lasting resonance.
Up Next in Rock Biopics That Don’t Suck
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Control
Directed by Anton Corbijn • 2007 • United Kingdom, United States
Starring Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria LaraWith this bleakly beautiful immersion into the legendary 1970s Manchester postpunk scene, photographer-turned-filmmaker Anton Corbijn evokes the agony and ecstasy of Ian Cur...
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The Runaways
Directed by Floria Sigismondi • 2010 • United States
Starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael ShannonWith this authentically scuzzy take on the rise of original punk girl group the Runaways, director Floria Sigismondi captures the mix of grit, glam, and adolescent abandon that propelle...
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I’m Not There
Directed by Todd Haynes • 2007 • United States, Germany
Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl FranklinHow can a film portray the many sides of the shape-shifting enigma that is Bob Dylan? Director Todd Haynes’s audacious gambit is to enlist six actors to play him in this innovati...
