Love and Mercy

Another film from the Amazon subscription, this charts both the decline into mental illness and eventual recovery of Brian Wilson, the songwriter behind the Beachboys' many hits.

Told in two parts side-by-side, with Paul Dano playing the younger Brian and John Cusack playing the older, the film shows how drugs and the pressure to create lead to his mental breakdown, but also his eventual recovery thanks to his then girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks) rescuing him from the clutches of a dubious and controlling psychiatrist (Paul Giamatti). Like most bio-pics, it must be taken with a pinch of salt and I would imagine that the reality was a lot more complicated. However, Brian's eventual completion of his master work, Smile, gives testament to his recovery and innate genius. Recommended.