Review: My Days of Mercy

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Oh, you're on the other side..


When we first meet Lucy, (Ellen Page) she and her siblings Martha (Amy Seimetz) and Benjamin (Charlie Shotwell) are on their way to protest a prisoner being put to death. They've found themselves to be anti death penalty advocates after their own father is also put on death row. On the other side of the fence is Mercy, (Kate Mara) a junior lawyer who was happy to see a prisoner put to death for his crimes. They spot each other from across the way and form a secret romance.

I've been a huge fan of Ellen Page for years and I remember her talking about this movie quite a bit, but I could never find it. Now with a feel trial of Starz, I'm finally able to watch....and it's another case of Page carrying an average film.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of My Days of Mercy is "shallow." This has quite a bit going on for it, but doesn't dig deep enough to become a better film. Lucy doesn't believe in the death penalty but at the same time, deep down, she questions her father. This isn't explored very much. Lucy and Mercy's first interaction is corny as hell, and even though their relationship becomes much more believable, it still felt like such an artificial way to get the ball rolling. The leads do make up for it chemistry wise.

Ellen Page is incredible here. The weight on Lucy is immense and you can tell everything that happened to her has stalled her life. She's unable to move on as she should be. Kate Mara may not get as many showy moments, but she's good as well. I really expected her character's motivations to go a certain way, and I also thought I could guess the exact way this film would end, and it at least surprised me there. That's what makes this on the slightly higher side of average. 

Over all, this isn't a great movie, but it's a perfectly fine way to spend an hour and a half. If you're a fan of Page or Mara, you definitely should see this for their performances alone.

Recommedned: Yes

Grade: C+

Memorable quote: "That's a fucking ironic name..." - Lucy (Ellen Page)

Comments

  1. GetterAugust 5, 2020 at 7:05 AM

    Ah that's a shame to see the word "shallow" here. I like Page but I'm a hit and miss for Mara so I'm not sure when I'll get to this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamAugust 5, 2020 at 7:06 AM

      It is because they have great chemistry together.

      Delete
  2. DellAugust 5, 2020 at 7:35 AM

    I was looking forward to tracking this down until I saw the word shallow. A film with that set-up deserves more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamAugust 6, 2020 at 6:34 AM

      It really does. It has everything else going for it.

      Delete
  3. thevoid99August 5, 2020 at 3:53 PM

    I have been seeing bits and pieces of the film on Starz as it had been appearing a lot as I do hope to see it as a whole. Mainly for the Tiny Canadian Destroyer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JayAugust 5, 2020 at 7:59 PM

    I'm sorry to hear this. I like Ellen Page too and your description sounded juicy...too bad the movie didn't live up to its promise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamAugust 6, 2020 at 6:33 AM

      I know :( It's still not a bad watch, just could be better.

      Delete
  5. Katie HoganAugust 9, 2020 at 6:42 PM

    I remember hearing about this film too but it sort of never had a proper release or a big fanfare, I was on the fence about watchig it, death row stories can usually be grim so I stay away BUT I also really like Ellen Page...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamAugust 9, 2020 at 10:32 PM

      I have no idea what happened to this. I don't even know if it actually hit theaters or if it went straight to Starz. If you like Page, I think it's worth the viewing.

      Delete
  6. Sonia CercaAugust 14, 2020 at 2:42 AM

    I love Page so it really sucks to see the word "shallow" here. I will still give it a chance though because you make it sound like it's really worth watching it for Ellen.

    ReplyDelete

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