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Hollywood worships the music biopic. Whether they're made for Oscar glory (“Ray”), financial profits (“Elvis”), or both (“Walk the Line”), biopics will continue to be greenlit as long as the music industry keeps producing stars. This fall, Jeremy Allen White trades in his knives for a guitar to play “The Boss” in “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.” It focuses on the recording of 1982’s “Nebraska,” Springsteen’s haunting album that many consider his masterpiece. Instead of focusing on Springsteen’s rise with “Born to Run” or his superstardom in “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Deliver Me from Nowhere” elects to explore a darker, more personal time in the singer’s life. “Deliver Me from Nowhere” depicts an unfamiliar time in the Boss’s life. If you’re looking for even more originality in a biopic, “Love & Mercy” is an unconventional biopic about Brian Wilson, one of the founding members of the Beach Boys. “Love & Mercy” embodies the spirit of its unique protagonist and presents a bold and out-of-the-ordinary drama about a musical genius. Fresh take in the overcrowded biopic genre Most music biopics use similar strategies to depict key moments of their lives. In movies like “Get On Up” and “Respect,” a traumatic moment during childhood follows them into adulthood. In “Elvis” and “Rocketman,” the singer's first public performance creates a seismic shift in the artists’ musical journeys. Drugs and montages are scattered throughout the second act, and if you’re lucky, an argument in the band can magically lead to a hit song, like “Another One Bites the Dust” in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” If you’ve seen “Walk Hard,” the brilliant musical comedy that parodies the biopic, then you’ll realize how formulaic and unoriginal these movies can be. “Love & Mercy” avoids these stereotypes by telling Wilson’s story across two timelines, with multiple actors depicting the legendary musician. The early timeline is set in the ‘60s, with Paul Dano playing a young Wilson, who, despite his success with The Beach Boys, struggles to cope with his mental health. In the ‘80s, Wilson, now played by John Cusack, is heavily medicated and under the care of Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). After meeting his future wife, Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), Wilson starts to question his arrangement with Landy and his relationship to music. Director Bill Pohlad is uninterested in depicting a cradle-to-grave jukebox musical. "Love & Mercy" is more concerned with illustrating a story about a mentally unstable genius and the effect it had on his family, friends, and music. While the movie does take some liberties, it doesn’t shy away from Wilson’s LSD use to combat his schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disease. Closing the ‘60s timeline with a dejected Wilson learning that his father (Bill Camp) sold the band’s publishing rights is a welcome subversion from a typical music biopic that might end on a happier note. Paul Dano shines, but John Cusack holds his own Art is subjective, but anyone who watches “Love & Mercy” will walk away thinking Dano, not Cusack, gives the better performance. Dano learned how to play piano and sing like Wilson for the role. He even put on a few pounds to channel Wilson at the moment when the band’s popularity exploded. “Love & Mercy” is more concerned with Wilson, the tortured artist, than with the Beach Boys co-founder. That being said, the movie’s best scenes feature Dano’s Wilson working on “Pet Sounds,” a concept album that reinvented the band’s sound. A commercial disappointment in the United States, “Pet Sounds” is now regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time. Everything you need to know about Wilson — a perfectionist full of self-doubt, a visionary on the verge of a mental breakdown, and a brilliant composer with grandiose ideas — spills onto the screen during those studio sessions. Dano, a gifted actor who first showcased dramatic chops alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood,” shows Wilson’s best qualities while laying the groundwork for his eventual deterioration. In one moment, an exuberant Wilson is overjoyed to harmonize with his brothers on “Good Vibrations.” Soon after, Wilson explodes at a dinner table when the noise in his head gets too loud. It’s this balancing act between a music icon and a mentally ill patient that Dano fully grasps, resulting in a harrowing and moving performance. Dano’s freakouts and unstable nature set the scene for Cusack’s muted depiction of Wilson at his lowest. In the '80s timeline, Wilson is much more subdued as a result of the medication prescribed by Landy. Wilson is almost in a drunken stupor, but Cusack's signature fast-talking wit and charm come through, especially in his scenes with Banks. Cusack’s portrayal is more one-note compared to Dano's depiction. The older timeline also allows Dano to flex his musical capabilities and showcase the livelier sides of Wilson. Still, Cusack adds nuance to a time in Wilson’s life that many don’t know about or choose not to explore. For those keeping score at home, Wilson told Vulture that Dano’s portrayal was “more factual” than Cusack’s depictions. A reminder of Brian Wilson’s greatness Unfortunately, death frequently reminds us to cherish greatness while we have it. In June, Wilson died of respiratory arrest at the age of 82. Though “Love & Mercy” hit theaters a decade before his death, the movie still acts as a touching tribute to a superstar. Pohlad’s drama undersells the Beach Boys’ influence on music and pop culture. Wilson and the Beach Boys were one of the few American bands to thrive at a time when the British Invasion conquered the States. Even with only a few musical performances, watching Dano workshop “God Only Knows” at the piano is breathtaking. How do you not walk away thinking that song is one of the greatest ever? So if you’re tired of music biopics or can’t take them seriously after “Walk Hard,” “Love & Mercy” might change your mind. 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