MOVIE REVIEW: The Mercy

Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz star in this film about a 1960’s man who undertakes a round the world, single-handed, sailing competition.Â Leaving his family at home it doesn’t take long for him to realise that he’s in over his head.Â We follow his travels on the waves and the pressures of raising three kids on your own back in England.

When this film first came onto my radar the thing that popped straight into my mind was All is Lost with the home life added in.Â If you haven’t seen All is Lost I can save you time and money now by telling you its Robert Redford alone on a boat, in a storm, and not exciting at all.Â For the most part there is a huge amount of the same pieces here in this true life story of Donald Crowhurst.Â It’s just that despite a very nice cast, and a story that should have kept me on the edge of my seat, the film is just dull, and the real life Donald is a self-indulgent idiot.

Now I don’t like bashing movies, unless I’m left with no choice, but this has really good performers in the film.Â They are wasted.Â Firth’s character is practically unlikable the more the film goes on and when something happens to him you fold your arms like an old man, which I am, and say in a cynical voice “GOOD!”“.Â It reminds me of growing up and when my Mom would watch a crime show, when the cocky villain would get his punishment and/or die she would just say “It’s too good for the bastard!”“ I didn’t care about Firth after one moment in the film where he doesn’t just endanger his own future but that of his family.Â Weisz is shockingly vanilla through the whole thing, this is the type of film that she should have been blistering in, but it’s just like a shade of grey falls over her, and the performer that she is never comes out.

The thing that is good about the film are the sets and the costuming of the late 60’s.Â But that’s about it.Â The script is just weak sauce.Â I know they cannot venture far from the truth as this is about real people.Â However the excitement of the sailing moments is just washed away in the storms by Firth looking like he needs a good meal.

With unlikable characters, terrible script, and a story that lacks any real punch this is one film that I cannot see the audience for.Â I don’t know who is going to pay their hard-earned cash into a theatre to see it.Â I for one cannot tell you that if you have just one theatre choice a week that this is worth that The Mercy is the one for you.Â It’s the season where there are great films and some that are worth a second viewing.Â If you watch a movie where you’re hoping that the ship of what should be the hero of the film sinks then that’s not a good thing.Â Personally I would advise you all to avoid.Â Unless you’re into boats.

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