Magic touch
As a P.S. to the Brian-as-the-5th-Beatle post, I finally watched the movie Midas Man, the biopic of his life. VERY MIXED reaction. Just when I thought it was going to get interesting and delve into his most intriguing stories as a closeted gay Jewish man with a drug addiction managing the biggest rock acts in the world, it pulled back and tried to end the movie on the triumph of the worldwide satellite broadcast debut of All You Need Is Love. The movie tacked his death from an accidental overdose onto an end card as an afterthought.
Brian deserved better. How could they have made this movie better?
Jay Leno is no Ed Sullivan, recast.
I know we are interested in Brian because he was the Beatles' manager, but they should've kept him more central to the story. Somehow, every time the Fab Four were in a scene, the focus shifted to the actors as tribute band performers dropping lines from Help! or A Hard Day's Night. And they put the actor playing George in the worst wigs.
I loved the cocky fourth-wall break and having Brian speak directly to the audience about how his Merseybeat acts took over the world. Using his biography, Brian could have narrated his story this way.
I loved his tender BFF relationship with Cilla Black, and wanted more of that to show the care he took with his acts and personal relationships with them.
They touched on it but should have delved into the drug abuse as he tried to manage the pressure of creating a worldwide industry out of Beatlemania.
And let's lean into what fascinates everyone: his life as a closeted gay man. Skimming it means denying a core truth that Brian himself wanted to manage. They could have explored the controversial vacation to Spain with John when Lennon should have been home with Cynthia and newborn Julian.
The actor himself did a great job capturing Brian's vocal delivery and mannerisms, and is more handsome than the real Brian. He should have had better material to work with.
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