Midas Man (UK)

With Midas Man, Brian Epstein, the manager of the Beatles, gets a biopic that’s TV-movie basic, with quite a few endearing moments. I am one of those very few people who did not know anything about Brian a or how did Beatles come about. So that way, I really enjoyed this film and getting to know this part of Beatles life and that of Brian. The fact that Brian was gay was probably a well known secret at a later stage, but while he was the manager, he tried his best to keep all that well-hidden. I debated whether I should review the film here, because sure Brian was gay and the film shows us some of his love escapades, but this biopic is not about his sexuality. It's all about how he discovered, and made them the chartbuster that they are know for today. But the fact that he was gay is as critical as anything else, so here we are.

Brian was the third generation Jewish family in Liverpool who used to run a very successful furniture store. He also happened to be gay. In early 60s it was the time that being homosexual was a crime. When Brian starts working in the store, his keen ear for music makes him expand the business to include records to sell, and does very well. The film covers everything from how he discovers the Beatles group, how he becomes their manager, how he works day and night like crazy to get them a record deal. We see how he explains their popularity to first in UK, then Europe and eventually in New York and rest of US , which was all the dream of Brian for his band. Big moments in the Beatles's story are recreated, including replacing the drummer Pete Best with Ringo Starr, their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the chaos they caused in Philadelphia and the Philippines, and their appearance on the TV special Our World just months before Epstein's death. In between we have Brian going for some sexcapades in Liverpool, which led to him being blackmailed a few times. Things look brighter for him when he meets a young aspiring actor Tex in New York. They hit off well and Tex even comes to London, but the over worked Brian and a jobless Tex did not go too far and Tex eventually robs him and leaves. We also see how uncomfortable the dawning awareness of his secret side makes his traditional Jewish parents. Brian got fame and money but one thing he did not get was love and family. At the age of 32 he does from accidental overdose.

The film moves at a fast pace, primarily using fourth-wall breaking exposition and images of the described events to quickly push the movie forward. Thanks to a very good performance by our lead actor and a brilliant screenplay, even a newbie like me was able to understand many of Epstein's intricacies. He shines when Midas Man takes the admittedly scarce detour into the tougher and more dramatic moments of his life, where he successfully translates his character's likability and charisma into genuine sympathy and heartbreak. I really appreciated the camaraderie between Beatles and Brian and how they all respected each other truly. We do see that Brian had two strong loving women in his life - his mother and singer Cilla Black, another of Brian's discoveries. These characters present strong women who Epstein found comfort, love and safety in, and they bring a great deal of humanity to the surrounding historic moments. Even in the face of his private struggles with drug use and his sexuality and many missed love opportunities, Brian Epstein doesn't let the fame and fortune get to his head but rather uses it to lift the careers of people who weren't just his clients, but his companions. I am not a stickler for biopics, especially for folks who I dont know anything about. But this film, which again might not be fully classified as a LGBTQ film, paints the portrait of a man who put his foot down on the gas the minute he met the Beatles and never let up, ultimately succumbing to the pressure and stress. And I quite enjoyed and had a good time while watching this film. He's a man who helped change music forever and that man was gay, who never found true love and who succumbed to death at a tender age of 32. We do not get to see details of his eventual addiction to pills and possible downfall, but maybe this independent production wanted to focus on highs rather than lows and that is ok with me. (6/10)