Mercy Streets

Being an atheist the reader will understand that I am aversed to cheesy Christian propaganda. Mercy Streets does not cause such dislike, except perhaps for the too obvious name Jeremiah. The reason is integrity, Jeremiah's struggle with his feelings for guilt is genuine. Moreover the atheist view gets a very fair chance - and it's the first time that happens in a Christian movie - when Rome questions Jeremiah's faith. Maybe the director got the idea from the Tuco-Pablo confrontation in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, another undecided philosophical/theological battle. What's more - bad brother John is in fact not that bad, even TJ and Rome aren't. It's not even clear if John is converted. Moreover I like it that Rome is menacing without using filthy language; that there is no boring sex between the sheets. Not that I have something against swearing and sex, but these are not values in itself, as happens way too often last 10, 15 years. Give me swearing and sex when it is necessary for the movie or leave it out, as it is distracting. The movie has some shortcomings - it drags a little sometimes, a few scenes are not that convincing - but all in all the director succeeded in making a movie entertaining enough to keep my attention and avoiding all traps before reaching his goal. In short Mercy Streets is an integre movie about the moral struggle of a Christian plagued by guilt plus quite a few extra's. Wanting to live in a free world - with christians and members of most other religions - I can't see much wrong with it. The average of five stars is way too low.

I am a fan of Christian films, but most are cheesy at best. This one was movie-making at its best--pure art. The writing was superior to anything I've seen lately. I'm glad to see quality film making representing what I believe in.

Christian film makers still haven't found their niche in today's movie market, and I don't they will for some time. Yet Mercy Streets seems to have succeeded where others have fallen short. Despite a relatively outrageous plot and some hokey acting, the film boasts some fine direction by Gunn, a good cast (Eric Roberts, David White), and an intriguing storyline. It's squeaky clean as far as language, yet it doesn't detract from the script. There's no book somewhere that says that there must be foul language for characters to express angst, hatred, etc. This movie has a lot going for it, and it's a step closer to a piece of great film making. 8 / 10.

Entertaining and humorous film, yet thoughtful film. Solid work by David A. R. White, Eric Roberts and Cynthia Watros. Some uncanny similarities to Oceans Eleven, except this movie came out first. Reminds of The Sting as well. Enjoy!

Having worked for four years at a place that shows Christian family movies every week, I have seen quite a number of cheesy clunkers in my time. And while "Mercy Streets" is not the best I've ever seen, it is far better than most.

For once, the production quality is on par with the average TV movie, and it doesn't look like it's been shot with a camcorder. As far as the storyline goes, it's engaging, if not entirely original, and it doesn't beat you over the head with the message.

The performances of both Eric Roberts and David White are to be commended, though most of the other cast members could use some improvement. Even so, the acting is quite a few notches above many Christian movies. I've been a fan of David White for a number of years, having seen him in "The End of the Harvest" and "The Moment After". He is one of the few actors in Christian film that actually tries to act, and he usually succeeds. "Mercy Streets" is undoubtedly his strongest performance so far.

In short, "Mercy Streets" is a movie that seeks to provide good entertainment to both Christians and the secular world, while glorifying God. And it succeeds, where "Omega Code" and similar films failed. "Mercy Streets" utilizes decent actors, a good script and good production values to provide an exciting, entertaining and meaningful film, without being preachy or cheesy.