Mercy (2009)

An absolute waste of money

A Major Disappointment

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

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.

everyone in this movie is beautiful! every woman is sexy and gorgeous! every man is sexy and gorgeous! perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect bodies, beautiful cars, lovely homes, etc. even the wait staff in the restaurants are perfect. and i had a problem with that!our leading man 'johnny' isn't to be believed, in my opinion, - he uses a typewriter (in the digital age), smokes, drinks and he's a writer. wow - what imagination for a character. the leading lady 'heather' has a medical problem. who couldn't see a disaster coming? BUT - i actually became tied up in the story due to the format in which it unfolds for the viewer. it does keep you guessing and wanting to see what happens next. before - after - next - (watch the flick you'll understand.)the leading man 'johnny' had me a bit on edge because he comes across as emotionally unstable and capable of murder. which would have thrown the story way off. fortunately that doesn't happen. but i wonder if the director intended this feeling?not a good movie - not a bad movie - it's a movie!

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.

Did you ever know a guy who had lots of girl friends and one night stands but who seemed to have no intentions of ever falling in love? Johnny (played by the producer and screenwriter of this film, Scott Caen ) is a 30 year old successful author who writes about romance and women. Perhaps he is trying to understand what a real relationship is about since his parents split up when he was quite young and his father ( played by his own real father James Caan) tells him unequivocally that there is no such thing as love. Of course, he does fall in love with a book critic who doesn't like his latest book and the story goes from there. The film is moderately successful in examining the impact of love on this young man. There are some insightful moments which will resonate with many young men struggling with this universal theme which has been depicted in many great movies. What seemed to be lacking was the opportunity for the audience to know Mercy (played by Wendy Glenn) well enough to also fall in love with her, or at least understand Johnny's love for her as we had, for example understood Woody Allen's feelings for Annie Hall or other cinematic romances. The scenes between Johnny and his father were well done. The younger Caen told our preview screening audience that these were particularly difficult for him since he actually has a close relationship with his dad as compared to the distant one they played in the film. The screenwriter/actor chose Patrick Hoelck, an old friend whom he trusted to be the Director and he was rewarded with a well-photographed movie, which captured the emotions and transformation of the main character. (2010) ***