M, 112 minutes
3 Stars
Review by © Jane Freebury
There was so much that Brian Epstein was juggling with when he died at the age of 32 from a cocktail of sleeping pills. There were the stroppy creative types that he managed, the business entrepreneurs he had to play hardball with, and there were the emotional burdens that weighed heavily, making it difficult to switch off and sleep at night.
As an elder son who had neither married nor joined the family business, the very famous musical entrepreneur, Brian Epstein, had broken away from family tradition. And as a public figure, moreover, he had to hide the fact that he was gay. Hard as it is to imagine now, the social upheavals of the sixties brought freedom and liberation to many, but not to all.
In Britain at the time, homosexuality had yet to be decriminalised
Not to make too fine a point of all this, this new fiction feature about a big personality who was a major part of the Beatles’ story keeps the tone light, jaunty even, in a reflection of the mood of the times.
As the conflicted Epstein, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, who made a dashing Duke of Buckingham in the recent Three Musketeers films, cuts an engaging figure as the brilliant entrepreneur with a nose for new talent. He introduces the opening scenes direct-to-camera, and returns every now and then, slipping between narrator and lead character, to fill us in on what’s happening further along the line.
The Beatles’ business manager from 1961 until his death came from a hard-working Jewish family in Liverpool. His father had a furniture showroom where he expected Brian to work in sales, giving up on his dreams of being a fashion designer or actor following his RADA training. As Malka and Harry, Brian’s parents, Emily Watson and Eddie Marsan bring a potency to their roles as loving, caring parents with clear expectations, but Epstein seems to have simply fallen for The Beatles, just like everyone else. And it was, of course, his belief in the band that translated into a brief, charmed business relationship that initiated the craze for British rock, and saw Beatlemania take hold.
The film’s best scenes take place between Epstein and the lads in the early stages, when Lennon was not at all sure that their new upstart manager could deliver for them
We take their musical talent as a given, of course, but the jaunty, irreverent humour and the natural charm they had in spades combine in an irresistible package. Jonah Lees’ John Lennon does most of the talking, and when the four of them start kidding around, Blake Richardson (Paul McCartney), Leo Harvey-Elledge (George Harrison) and Campbell Wallace (Ringo Starr) bring the spirit of the band back to life.
In this biopic, written by Brigit Grant and Jonathan Wakeham and directed by Joe Stephenson, Epstein comes across as a kind, generous young man, personable and self-effacing. He wasn’t going to let his upper-crust accent nor well-cut suit nor other accoutrements of the well-off middle class get in the way of connecting with working class talent like The Beatles. Even spikey individuals like John Lennon.
It was surely these qualities of openness that made it possible for him to recognise the phenomenon that was taking place around the Beatles in the first place. Epstein’s indefatigable efforts getting the ‘fabulous four’ started, out of The Cavern and onto the Parlophone record label is one thing, but his belief in them and other Merseyside artists, suggest he inspired a loyalty that was well deserved.
In the film’s slower second half, it is interesting to see how, after Lennon’s observations comparing the Beatles’ popularity with Christianity, the Beatles had serious misgivings about being celebrities if they couldn’t be honest and express themselves freely. At around the same time the mood changes, as the aesthetic of split screens and flippant montages evoking the mood of the decade gives way to the melodrama of family life and gay relationships.
Whether it was Epstein or record producer George Martin who was ‘the fifth Beatle’, this tribute demonstrates the debt the band owed their business manager. He got them to tidy their hair, wear suits, and take a deep bow at the end of performances. He introduced them at a Royal Variety performance, took them to America, and then some.
First published in the Canberra Times on 31 August 2024. Jane’s reviews are also published on Rotten Tomatoes
Featured image: Jacob Fortune-Lloyd is Midas Man, courtesy Transmission Films