Monthly Archives: August 2015

Love & Mercy — Movies for Lawyers — The Act Of Communication Point Of View

11 August 2015

Katherine James:

 

LOVE & MERCY is a film to which you should run and not walk.

If you have always wondered what was really going on in the life of Brian Wilson as he struggled with art and fame and love as he created the sound of a generation, your questions will be answered here.

If you enjoy amazing performances by wonderful actors, this is the film for you. Paul Dano is just brilliant as Brian Wilson in the “past” and John Cusack equally amazing as Brian Wilson in the “future”. Paul Giamatti is just terrifying as Dr. Eugene Landry, the shrink who manipulated his way into running Brian’s life. The simple and glorious performance of Elizabeth Banks as Melinda, Brian’s true love and rescuer, is the essence of how an actor simply “listens” and “responds”.

The star of the piece, however, is the sound.

I went in expecting the music, of course. But what I didn’t realize was that the sound inside of Brian’s head as he is creating music, responding to mental health issues, the medication to deal with his problems, the conflict of those around him would be a huge element in the show. You know how many times entertainment awards for sound design go to either sci fi thrillers or war movies? Rarely does a sound designer Eugene Gearty get to go inside the human mind, let alone the mind of a genius. Here is an interview with Gearty on the process of creating the extraordinary sound for the film.

What can Lawyers learn from this film? The sounds that are created in the hearts and minds of the jurors are an oft neglected element of demonstrative evidence in a case. See LOVE & MERCY, revel in the sound, and let your mind open to what sounds you want the jurors to be “hearing” in your case. You might not be able to create them like Gearty…but…using words to create the right “wall of sound” for this case is vital.
 
TIP: What are the sounds that are evoked in your case? How can you use them to implant the sound images you want to last all the way into the deliberation room and beyond?