“Fun, Fun, Fun”, “Surfing USA”, “California Girls” – young Brian Wilson was adept at hiding his inner demons with sugary-sweet, teeny bopping compositions. 1960’s California was a long way from 1990’s Seattle – angst-filled lyrics were not going to sell.
Record-buyers, and Brian’s domineering father / manager Murry Wilson (Bill Camp), dictated the early Beach Boys discography was a collection of sun-kissed, surfing jingles (never mind the fact none of the Beach Boys actually surfed).
In Bill Pohald’s Love & Mercy – we meet Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) as this tidal wave of early Beach Boys hits is spreading across the globe. Pohald’s camera literally brings us inside the mind of the tormented musical genius, zooming into Brian’s ear in the first scene. This is the same ear that is partially deaf from one of the many beatings from Murry, the ear that hear voices that nobody else can hear, the ear that hears magical symphonies that Brian is determined to bring to life.
