Tag Archives: review

Mercy

The movie Mercy moves fast. As it must. 

In Mercy court in a lawless near future Los Angeles, a defendant—who is presumed guilty—has 90 minutes to prove his/her innocence before an AI judge. Failure to do so results in swift execution. 

Alcoholic LA policeman Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), an early supporter of the Mercy court system, is accused of murdering his wife. Circumstantial evidence makes it look like he did it.

Ah, but in this scenario, he has access to multiple digital platforms as the courtroom clock counts down. 

As in a couple of current TV shows, High Potential and Tracker, the access to cell phone data, CCTV footage, emails, financial transactions, criminal records, etc. is quicker and easier than in real life. In Mercy, from his well-connected courtroom, Raven is able to get that digital info at lightning speed.

How realistic or even imaginable is all that? Not very. But when you consider that twenty years ago iPhones didn’t exist and in a few weeks you will be able to watch this movie on your iPhone, what the near future holds… well, who knows? 

Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson) is the AI judge. Like some of our real life AI, she doesn’t handle nuance well. 

Jaq Diallo (Kali Reis) is Raven’s LAPD partner who provides a link to his investigation in the real world. (Reis co-starred with Jodie Foster in that Alaska-based season of True Detective.)

While the main part of Mercy is set in the Mercy courtroom, the videos and phone calls and surveillance footage take the story into the outside world. And, yes, there is even that classic element of thriller films… a chase scene on LA’s freeways!

The main virtue of the film Mercy is its breakneck pace. Nary a slow moment. And like Chris Raven’s trial, it’s over and done in just over ninety minutes. Also, Chris Pratt is a likable actor. So he’s a good choice for this lead role.

Mercy is a juicy chunk of escapism. Directed by Timur Bekmanbetov. Written by Marco van Belle. Rated PG-13. 

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Regretting You

The new family drama film Regretting You has some of the hallmarks, um, characteristics of a Hallmark Channel movie. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing.

A young, attractive cast. Small town setting. Much communication via text messages. Wine drinking. Plus a widow.

And, like many Hallmark films, once the scene is set, you pretty much know where the story is going to go. Getting there is what makes such a film work. Or not. (That, too, is not necessarily a bad thing. I mean… you knew the boat was gonna sink but you watched all three hours of Titanic anyway, right?)

Unlike Hallmark films, Regretting You has sex (but no nudity), drug use and some kissing that’s hotter than what you’ll encounter in Hallmark land. It’s rated PG-13.

Morgan (Allison Williams, daughter of TV newsman Brian) is a thirty-something mom of a 17-year-old daughter Clara (McKenna Grace). Morgan became pregnant with Clara when she was Clara’s age, so she’s overly protective.

Morgan’s life is hit with a double whammy when her husband Chris (Scott Eastwood, Clint’s son) and her sister Willa (Jenny Davidson) die in a car crash. That shock is followed by a life-altering revelation. An old platonic friend of Morgan’s, Jonah (Dave Franco), was involved with sister Willa and he begins showing up often at Morgan’s house.

Meanwhile young Clara is hot to trot and begins a flirtation with fellow high school student Miller (Mason Thames). So mom Morgan has to deal with her own issues and keep a watchful eye on daughter.

The great actor Clancy Brown has a small role in the film. He was a prison guard in The Shawshank Redemption. He supervised the duel at the end of John Wick 4. And, of course, he’s the voice of Mr. Krabs on SpongeBob SquarePants. Always good to see him AND to hear his amazing voice.

Regretting You is based on a book by the prolific best-selling author Colleen Hoover. Unlike the previous Hoover movie It Ends With Us, this new film will hopefully remain free of the bad vibes, controversy and litigation that followed in the wake of its production and release.

A spicier Hallmark sort of movie is how I’d describe Regretting You. If that sounds like something you’d like, check it out.

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A Real Pain

A Real Pain is a sweet little movie about two cousins who travel to Poland together via funding from their late grandmother. On the trip they explore grandma’s homeland, their Jewishness and their relationships with one another.

David is played by Jesse Eisenberg who wrote and directed the film. He’s the straight arrow, married with a kid, working in marketing in NYC. He has anxiety but controls it with meds.

Cousin Benji is the title character, played by Kieran Culkin. He’s a mess. One might easily conclude that he is “on the spectrum,” based on his erratic behavior and his responses to certain elements of their trek.

Shortly after they arrive in Warsaw, they meet up with their entourage including recent divorcee Marcia (Jennifer Grey!) who Benji pals up with, though not in a romantic way. There’s also an older couple from Cleveland. And, interestingly, a black man from Wisconsin, who escaped genocide in his native African land and became interested in Judaism from a support group in the U.S.

The tour leader is an Englishman who narrates the group’s visits to a war memorial, a cemetery and a concentration camp. David and Benji break off from the group to see the place where grandma lived.

The film’s soundtrack is primarily Chopin piano pieces which, like anything that’s overdone, become tedious after a while. Of course, it’s entirely appropriate to use his music as he is a Polish icon. Heck, the Warsaw airport is named for him!

Benji lives in Binghamton so he and David haven’t spent much time together recently. Their interactions with each another and with the travel group are often uncomfortable as the cousins revisit their family histories and try to understand each other’s current life situations.

For fans of Kieran Culkin’s work on the recent series Succession, A Real Pain is a must-see. His performance is the spice that gives the story some necessary conflict and helps showcase his range as an actor. Some folks have suggested that his work here may even be award-worthy. TBD.

A Real Pain clocks in at just under 90 minutes. It is rated R for language and drug use, mainly weed. 

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