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Scott Caan, Wendy Glenn, Erika Christensen, John Boyd, Troy Garity ... see more see more... , Dylan McDermott , James Caan , Alexie Gilmore , Whitney Able , Jamie Strange , Holly Valance , Bre Blair , Dorian Brown , Brian Goodman , Mike Testone , Scarlett Chorvat , Balthazar Getty , Peter Simmons , Thom Cammer , Troy Bellinghausen , A.J. Dunn , Wesley Scott , Justin Vaughn

A cynical novelist enters into an affair with the critic who isn't fooled by his romantic posturing in this romantic drama starring and written by Scott Caan. John (Caan) may write about being in love... read more read more..., but the truth of the matter is that he's never actually experienced it firsthand, and he's not entirely convinced that it even exists. He's a certified bachelor committed to remaining single, but he's also a master seducer capable of bedding practically any woman he wants. When John meets Mercy, he's instantly captivated by her insight and honesty. She sees right through his insincere sentimentality, and as a result John impulsively opens up to her -- something that he's never done with another woman. In doing so John makes himself vulnerable, and for the first time ever he's willing to take that risk. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

41% liked it

254 ratings

Critics

43% liked it

14 critics

R, 1 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: Patrick Hoelck

Release Date: April 30, 2010

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DVD Release Date: September 28, 2010

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Stats: 35 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (35)

  • gator681
    September 28, 2011
    gator681
    In "Mercy," Johnny(Scott Caan, who also wrote and produced) wakes up alone in his bed after another wild night of frenzied sex, only to listen to his friend Erik(John Byrd) complaining about the sad state of his love life. That night at the book party for his latest novel, Chris... read more(Alexie Gilmore) bets him that he cannot seduce a cute waitress(Whitney Able). To be honest, he might have been able to, if he had not been distracted by Mercy(Wendy Glenn). As later informed by his agent Jake(Dylan McDermott), his book would have been unanimously praised if not for the review written by Mercy who had no mercy.

    "Mercy" is a frustrating near miss of a movie and Scott Caan deserves the praise and blame for that. He is a very good actor who makes the new and not necessarily improved "Hawaii Five-O"(where he also plays a character who has a thing for tall English women) much better than it has a right to be and is excellent in "Mercy."(As long as I am in this part of the critical woods, I also recommend "Dallas 362.") But as a writer, he does not fare as well. The story flows smoothly until it reaches a point where it does not know what else to do except get unnecessarily tricky and play the largest cliche in the deck, dragging it out in excruciating fashion. It is a shame because there are some interesting thoughts here on the differences between a public persona and the private person, with the perils of judging harshly. I'll excuse the fact that the lead character is a writer since he uses a manual typewriter but remember critics are people and writers, too.
  • xas5
    February 5, 2011
    xas5
    Scott Caan does a good enough job writing, producing, and acting in this emotional drama. The film loses steam progressively throughout the first three-fourths of the film, but the shocking end is completely worth the exposition. Didn't quite live up to expectations, but still a ... read morenicely done piece.
  • xxdebxx
    November 23, 2010
    xxdebxx
    Scott Caan plays Johnny, a successful jaded fictional writer, who writes about love but has never been in love probably because his father (played by his own real dad James Caan) tells him that there is no such thing as love. One night at his latest book party, Johnny is up to hi... read mores usual flirtatious tricks when he notices Mercy (Wendy Glenn) from across the room. He walks over to her but is bemused because Mercy isn't falling for his playboy routine and pick up lines. Johnny soon discovers that Mercy is a book critic who wrote the sole negative review of his third novel and invites her to discuss the book, which leads to an intense affair with marriage on the horizon. It seems that everything is going perfectly but then disaster strikes and well you got to watch the movie to find out what happens next.
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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert
July 22, 2010
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I have a problem with movies about men who women cannot resist. Full Review

Michael Ordoña
May 6, 2010
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times

Mercy is a romantic drama with some good qualities -- among them earnestness and strong performances -- but not enough to completely overcome the strain of its clichés. Full Review

Stephen Holden
April 30, 2010
Stephen Holden, New York Times

Scott Caan delivers a complex portrait of a womanizing bully with a cream-puff heart. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
April 30, 2010
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Scott Caan, of all people, playing a writer of romantic novels? Full Review

Karina Longworth
April 27, 2010
Karina Longworth, Village Voice

Mercy looks like an Urban Outfitters catalog and plays like A Very Special Episode of Entourage, only sporadically convincing that it's taking such form to mobilize a critique of the same. Full Review

David Nusair
October 4, 2010
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

Frustratingly uneven... Full Review

Mark Peikert
May 5, 2010
Mark Peikert, New York Press

There's a frayed romanticism to Caan's script that belies his swaggering air of machismo; this is a man who understands the price of love, even if Johnny can't, or more probably, won't. Full Review

John P. McCarthy
April 30, 2010
John P. McCarthy, Boxoffice Magazine

Caan's decision to cast real-life pals such as Jane Fonda's son Garity, McDermott and John Boyd (as a blabbering lovesick friend)--not to mention his father--makes sense, but the decision to leave out... Full Review

Nathan Rabin
April 29, 2010
Nathan Rabin, AV Club

With Glenn offscreen for huge sections of the film, Mercy devolves into yet another navel-gazing drama about a glib cad redeemed by the love of a good woman. Full Review

Kam Williams
April 29, 2010
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze

A sentimental sitdram about whether or not a long-distance liaison between an artist and his worst critic has a fighting chance of blossoming into love. Full Review

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Mercy Trivia

  • Name the Movie: Bad Guy: (cowering in fear) Have mercy! Scary/Good Guy: Sorry, all out of mercy. (Kills him)  Answer »
  • Finish the sentence... "The Kiler will grant mercy to whoever smells the_____."  Answer »
  • In the movie "The Natural" how much money does Simpson bet Max Mercy that Roy Hobbes can strike out the Wammer on three pitched balls?  Answer »
  • In this movie the Spartan warriors motto was ~ Show no mercy   Answer »
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