“All you need is love”, John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang in 1967. It should actually mean: “All you need is love – and Brian Epstein.” The merchant son not only pushed the Beatles in the 1960s to the top of the charts in Great Britain, but also made them famous worldwide. Director Joe Stephenson has this man behind the Beatles with “Midas Man“Now set a cinematic monument:
“If there was a fifth beatle, it was Brian Epstein.” Stephenson focuses primarily on Epstein's passion for the Beatles, but also emphasizes his dark hours in loneliness, depression and tablet addiction. Despite the dark topics, he succeeds in a biopic in not so dark tones as you might suspect. For legal reasons, unfortunately, without original Beatles songs, which takes the film a piece of his vibe.
Brian Epstein (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) could probably sell rain in London.
Brian Epstein (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) is the born seller. Always neat, always with the right saying on the lips – and equipped with the nose for the right business. A MIDAS Man who may turn everything into gold that he touches. Right from the start, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (“See How They Run”) with its 1.88 meters sits on a sofa in the shop window of a furniture shop. Because of its size, he looks out of place and then says: “My dreams are a bit larger than this shop window.”
A beautiful picture for a man who has long since had larger ambitions than selling furniture dreams in Liverpool. So he converts the business with his father's permission (Eddie Marsan) into a record store. He promises to be able to get each plate within five days. When the Beatles single “My Bonnie” is pre-ordered, he accidentally learns from his assistant Alastair Taylor (Milo Parker) that the “Hamburgers” actually come from Liverpool …
Brian Epstein polished the image of the “Four Little Hamburgers”
The Beatles appear at the time when she sees Brian Epstein for the first time as a “midday snack” in the Liverpool Cavern. Epstein sees the potential of the four unpolished types in leather hires and senses the chance to get into the music business with them. To do this, he polishes the image of the “four small Hamburgers” vigorously, lets her hair cut again, puts it in suits, practices how to bow with a concert – and he particularly gets the curse. He goes home with many record companies, for a plate deal with Parlophone Epstein finally throws the drummer Pete Best (Adam Lawrence) out of the band.
Despite a few narrative abbreviations, director Joe Stephenson remains loyal to the history of the Beatles. At the same time, he also takes the room to stage Epstein as a tragic figure. At night, Epstein sneaks out of the house to secretly have sex with strangers in slogging places. Homosexuality is still punishable in England at this time. His lovely worrying mother (Emily Watson) warns him of his sole approaches. The Beatles manager later meets the unsuccessful actor Tex Ellington (Ed Speleers). Tex is based on the jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, who exploited and blackmailed the Beatles manager. Unfortunately, it gives the story little added value.
Brian Epstein is also spatially the man behind Paul McCartney (Blake Richardson).
The other bands, which Epstein also managed, are briefly lined up on a staircase and listed in turn. Another of these shortcuts, which were probably also good for the narrow budget. Only Cilla Black (Darci Shaw) gets more screen time as a likeable wardrobe in the Cavern, singer and good friend of “Eppy”, as she calls him. The process of “Midas Man” was very lengthy. The film has been in the MACH since 2019. After Jonas Åkerlund and then Sara Sugarman had got out due to creative differences (including an excessive casting request: Florence Pugh as Cilla Black), Joe Stephenson only jumped onto the director's chair a few weeks before the start of the shoot. Stephenson also took over the cut. He clearly focuses on Epstein, not on the Beatles.
None of the Beatles appearances can be seen in its entirety. The success stations and later world tour summarizes Epstein like a reporter in front of a map with concise scenes in Splitscreens. Certainly a more cost-effective variant, but also a missed chance for a bit Beatles flair. In 1964 a water glass was enough to take a tablet, plus a sip whiskey. In 1966 the tablet was already dissolved in the whiskey, plus a cigarette, Epstein has an increasing effect. For the most part, Epstein tells his story himself, keeping breaks through the fourth wall. In the end, however, it is tragically still the reporters who, after all the tireless efforts and the self -abandonment, tell the history of Brian Epstein and thus also the history of the Beatles.
The Beatles are too good for a rock 'n' roll band
In “Midas Man”, the Beatles are all credible, approximately the same old and the buddy energy within the band is also right. Stephenson allows the actors to sing the actors themselves, which works well. As Paul McCartney, musician Blake Richardson joins the former Beatle, although he himself is a right -hander, plays with the left – and imitates the famous head wagging. The Leo Harvey-Elledge, which was actually too big for the role, as George Harrison, Campbell Wallace as Ringo Starr and a 1.73 meter small Jonah Lees than 1.80 meter tall John Lennon fit well into the image of the Beatles.
In general, the biopic is too well. “We are a rock 'n roll band, not a church choir,” says John Lennon to Brian Epstein. Unfortunately you can feel little of it. The sweat does not drip off the ceiling, the audience in the Cavern Club is a little, but the typical Beatles-Groove is missing. Perhaps it was not a good idea that Joe Stephenson copied iconic appearances almost one to one – without being able to take them into account.
On the other hand, the little swipes, like that of John Lennon when the Royal Variety Show appeared, are nice: “Please clap the people in the cheaper places. And the rest of you: just clash with your jewelry.” And then the band – at least in the film – plays “Money (that's what i want)”. In fact, “Twist & Shout” was the crowning glory of the royal gig. “Money”, on the other hand, looks a bit clumsy as a comment.
The relationship with the individual Beatles remains vague
And this shows one of the problems of “Midas Man” that run into the plot. Since Sony kept up to the end, whether the music rights would be awarded to the film, the close relationship between Epstein and Lennon was not worked out – for fear that Sony would be musically back. Brian Epstein and John Lennon's trip to Spain is only indicated at their first encounter, their creative symbiosis can only be guessed from the few quotations that Jonah Lees can say.
Music producer George Martin, who was also significantly involved in the success of the band, also gets little space. Epstein, on the other hand, becomes a sympathizer. You just have to like Epstein when he becomes a perfect seller in conversation with George Martin: “Wherever I go, people laugh at me. We could form a good team.” Unfortunately, that was not always a vain of sunshine in the Beatles universe, which is unfortunately kept silent.
Conclusion: “Midas Man” is a queer, well -researched biopic about the man behind the Beatles, the iconic appearances of the Beatles like to cite cited without being able to do justice to the rock 'n' roll (probably also for budget reasons). Brian Epstein and his outstanding sales talent are always entertaining.
We saw “Midas Man” at the 31st Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg.