Mercy

Scott Caan has written a beautiful movie that gets to the heart of what love is. At times the movie feels very contemporary then it feels like a throwback to the movies of the 40's and 50's.

Caan's vision as an artist an artist is bold. I say this because he put a a vision of what love and loss feels like.

Great date movie.

I saw "Mercy" as the closing night film at the Gen Art Film Festival. This was one of those movies where I didn't have any real feeling about it going into the screening. Basically. it was one of those films that if I saw it that would be cool, but if I didn't that's OK too. With that being said, I did venture into the screening and below is what I thought of it.

In "Mercy," Scott Caan plays Johnny, a successful fictional writer, who writes about love but has never been in love. One night at his latest book party, Johnny is up to his usual flirtatious nature when he eyes Mercy (Wendy Glenn) from across the room. He walks over to her but Mercy isn't falling for his playboy routine and all of Johnny's pick up lines. Johnny is taking back because Mercy isn't falling for his charming nature and feels that there is something else to this girl that he has never seen or felt before. Johnny now has to question if his idea of love is a "fictitious" feeling or if he is truly is falling in love. An interesting and sometimes dark film ensues...

After having mixed feelings on actually seeing the film, I am glad that I did in fact see it. While the film itself didn't blow me away, it definitely had a well written story and solid performances all around. I think the script itself, which was written by Scott Caan is probably what made it work for the most part. Like any script there are some flaws and definitely a lot of clichéd moments here. I think we all heard this plot outline before but the way the story was written basically is what made it seem out of the ordinary. What I mean by that is Mr. Caan decided to overlap a lot of the acts and kind of blur them together. A lot of films do this but very few that I seen do it successfully. This one did a good job of it which made an overused idea seem fresh.

The acting was very noteworthy. I actually really liked Scott Caan's performance as Johnny. He had a very diverse role for him here. He went from a very upbeat and typical male character to a darker and depressing character. Also I have to point out that his chemistry with Wendy Glenn was just terrific. They had a great on-screen presence and their chemistry felt powerful and real. Wendy by herself did a great job as well and I think she is definitely on her way to star in some new films sooner rather than later. The supporting cast all did a great job as well and really added to feeling the film was trying to create. Also I must lastly point out James Caan's performance and how dead on it was. I think the director, Patrick Hoelck made the right choice by picking James Caan to play the father role although it did seem like the obvious to me as well.

The director, Patrick Hoelck, did a great job here with his directorial debut. I think working with friends probably made the film-making process a bit more easier but his quality of work on this film was very good for a first feature. I have to also say that he did a really good job capturing the characters feelings and emotions as well as changing the direction of the film from light and fluffy to dark and depressing.

In the end, "Mercy" was good for what it is. It wasn't anything spectacular and won't be winning any awards any time soon. I feel the unique direction the story went, although pretty predictable half way through, and the acting was it's strongest marks. The film did a decent job holding the interest of the audience but again didn't really do anything to blow them away. It was definitely a good first time effort and for that I give everyone involved a round of applause.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Mercy" is a 7 out of 10.

Successful romance novelist Scott Caan (as Johnny Ryan) likes it when the women he picks up leave before he wakes up. While out with his boozing pal John Boyd (as Erik) to find new sex partners, Mr. Caan meets slender asthmatic Wendy Glenn (as Mercy Bennett). Her condition causes Caan to quit smoking. Caan tells Ms. Glenn she's the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, but flattery gets him nowhere. She's also discovered to be the one reviewer to pan his latest novel. Naturally, Caan wants Glenn even more...

The main character writes about romance for a living, but seeks only sexual gratification in real life. A good twist might have him lose his writing prowess upon meeting his soul mate, but that's not "Mercy". Caan wrote the script, and surely worked closely with debuting director Patrick Hoelck. Casting calls went out to the star's father James Caan (as Gerry), who convincingly plays his son's dad, and best friend Troy Garity (as Dane), son of actress Jane Fonda. Alas, the non-linear scenes and foreshadowing suffocate the movie.

***** Mercy (2/7/09) Patrick Hoelck ~ Scott Caan, Wendy Glenn, Troy Garity, James Caan

Johnny Ryan (Scott Caan) is a successful clean-living writer and a dedicated one-night-stand bachelor. At a party for his book, he falls for Mercy Bennett but she slyly rejects him. His agent Jake (Dylan McDermott) tells him about all the rave reviews except for one savaging by critic Mercy. He confronts her and they eventually hit it off. Some time later, he's bitter, angry, and disheveled. His friends Erik and Chris set him up with Robin (Erika Christensen). It goes badly and he visits his estranged father (James Caan).

Scott Caan is unlikely to win any awards for his writing. It's a sparse script with a few bits of interesting dialog. The more compelling part is that this allowed him to do some acting. The emptiness in his life is compelling. It would have been great to have a better actress play Mercy. A switch with Christensen could be wonderful. This is an effective romantic tragedy.

Written by and starring Scott Caan? Usually this would be a "sink or swim" attempt by an actor. I believe it was a great shot. In my opinion, a legacy actor that makes his own legacy is to be revered. Scott Caan including his own father into the story was a great addition to the realism of the story.

This is a "man movie" and a "chick flick" rolled into one. Of course there is one exception... No guns or martial arts. The relationships of the main characters to one another helps make it very real and makes the immersion into the film easier than expected.

Predictable? Somewhat. Cheesy? Not so much. Well played sir? Yes. The cast is talented infinitely beyond what the gross of the movie indicates.

All babble aside; I loved the clever lines, solid performances, warmth, and realism. I agree with the previous review, in the fact that it will not be winning any awards. I feel, however it is well worth the time watching it for the true romantic realist.