Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road

Brent Wilson's 2021 documentary is about the composer Brian Wilson. The narrative rests on one method: Wilson drives around with a journalist he has known for years and they talk along the way. That formal choice relates to the subject. Wilson had a difficult relationship with mental health and public attention for many years; the car rather than an interview table gives him a space to speak, and the silences are not cut. Other musicians speak too but their contributions are short. The documentary's weight is on Wilson's own account; hearing loss, a history of violence in the family and his method of composing are treated with the same plainness. Who it's for: those interested in popular music history and artist portraits. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a comprehensive account of a career; the documentary passes quickly over the contested periods.