Mercy

TedFlicks Rating:

$9.00 ticket on a scale of $0 to $12.50

JAMES CANN AS ONLY HE CAN BE, IF ONLY IN PASSING

“Mercy,” in which James Caan’s son Scott appears with his dad for the second time, opens as a witty, breezy, cynical comedy about sex, romance, and misogyny.  Scotts “Johnny”, who also wrote the screenplay for pic helmed by Patrick Holeck, fairly oozes charm as a handsome, youngish, best selling author or romance novels — who has been raised from childhood by single dad Gerry (father James) to suspect the viability of romance.  Pic is part buddy film, part weeper.

In the opening reels Johnny spends much time dispensing his cynical brand of relationship advice with faultless timing to lovelorn Dane (Troy Garrity) whose girl has just dumped him for the umpteenth time, while flitting in and out of LA parties for the launch of his latest novel.

All goes well until he encounters a young woman impervious to his charms — Mercy (Wendy Glenn) — a beautiful asthmatic who turns out to be the only critic who panned his latest book — no conflict here — she turned in her review before meeting the author.

In an utterly predictable plot twist their confrontation leads to romance — the real kind — complete with diamond ring.

Thus endeth the buddy film.

As we move on to weeper, pic loses as much steam as its ultra cool lead, who has to learn what it means to lose at love.

Here a rather neat plot device keeps all straight in the minds of auds.  Johnny writes on a typewriter.  His chapter headings set the stage for each act.  Think “Murder, She Wrote.”  Pic is partly told in flashback and flash forward, which helps maintain a degree of suspense in what would otherwise be too predictable for words.

Repeated references are made to Johnny’s dad, Gerry, a tough guy who turns out, two thirds of the way through pic, to be a sort of Norman Mailer as Los Angeles university don.  The elder Caan steals all his scenes, an the younger is smart enough not to compete.  He shrinks physically in their scenes together, slumping as if to emphasize his father’s towering presence.

Supporting players Dylan McDermott as Johnny’s agent Jake and John Boyd as childhood friend Erik (married) ;shine, but their function is largely to trade quips and move the plot along.  A cameo by Kelly Lynch helps create the present day LA as mise-en-scene but pic’s real star is Glenn.  Her Mercy is so winning that auds just crave for the star-crossed golden couple to succeed.

Despite friends’ best efforts to pull him out Johnny remains mire in despair until the final reel.  In case anyone has not figured it out yet, Johnny suffers a tragedy in love that is explained in the penultimate reel.  At least in the final reel both he and pic regain their steam, albeit he as a changed man.  If only someone could write and film a man’s descent into emotional hell without the clichés of drunkenness, arrests, bad grooming, and violence!  This is pic’s slowest and least compelling part.

Payoff, which is hopeful, is set up by a scene in which Johnny — during his dark period — is invited by Dane and wife to dinner with a young widow from Chicago.  It plays horribly between the pair at first, and finally the mystery of Mercy’s disappearance is revealed.

Pic benefits from excellent tech work and outstanding set design.  Editing by Andrea Bottigliero is crisp, and helmer Holdeck has a firm hand.  At 87 minutes pic should appeal to exhibitors as well as auds, whose tushes won’t suffer cruel and unusual punishment.  Special mention goes to a 1968 high hood Mercedes Benz 280 SE cabriolet in sort of rough shape –but the car performs admirably — it’s Johnny’s ride — as perfectly in character as his typewriters — and it gets plenty of screen time.

Mercy is not rated. But there is nothing in it objectionable for all but the most prudish pre-teen.  It was released on 30 April in New York but as of this writing has not got wide distribution.

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