DramaAdventure

The Mercy

- Based on the true story

In 1968, Donald Crowhurst, an amateur sailor, endangers the fate of his family and business, and his own life, blinded by his ambition to compete in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, attempting to become the first person in history to single-handedly circumnavigate the world without making any stopover.

Release Date : 2018-02-09

Language :EnglishSpanish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : BBC FilmBlueprint PicturesStudioCanal

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles : Deep WaterThe Mercy

Cast

Character Name : Donald Crowhurst

Original Name : Colin Firth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clare Crowhurst

Original Name : Rachel Weisz

Gender : Female

Character Name : Rodney Hallworth

Original Name : David Thewlis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ronald Hall

Original Name : Mark Gatiss

Gender : Male

Character Name : 'Miss Teignmouth'

Original Name : Genevieve Gaunt

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ian Wheeler

Original Name : Jonathan Bailey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ian Milburn

Original Name : Andrew Buchan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Francis Chichester

Original Name : Simon McBurney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rachel Crowhurst

Original Name : Eleanor Stagg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stanley Best

Original Name : Ken Stott

Gender : Male

Character Name : James Crowhurst

Original Name : Finn Elliot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Simon Crowhurst

Original Name : Kit Connor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dennis Herbstein

Original Name : Oliver Maltman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Hughes

Original Name : Sam Hoare

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Hughes

Original Name : Avye Leventis

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sara Milburn

Original Name : Anna Madeley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Elliot

Original Name : Adrian Schiller

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sidney Rawle

Original Name : Simon Chandler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Françoise Moitessier

Original Name : Alexia Traverse-Healy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eve Tetley

Original Name : Dorothy Atkinson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nelson Messina

Original Name : Sebastian Armesto

Gender : Male

Character Name : Franchessi

Original Name : Martin Marquez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Band Leader

Original Name : Mark Davison

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barman

Original Name : Bruce Mackinnon

Gender : Male

Character Name : BBC Interviewer

Original Name : Richard Teverson

Gender : Male

Character Name : 'Bear and Swan' Landlady

Original Name : Kerry Godliman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Benefits Officer

Original Name : Laurence Spellman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Box

Original Name : Greg Hicks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chamber Member

Original Name : Richard Blaine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayor of Teignmouth

Original Name : Geoff Bladon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Portishead Messenger

Original Name : Maynard Crowe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Portishead Operator

Original Name : Paul Thornley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Press Photographer

Original Name : Stuart Davidson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Robert Elphick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Style Editor

Original Name : Tim Downie

Gender : Male

Character Name : George

Original Name : Ray Burnet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waterskiing Girl

Original Name : Zara Prassinot

Gender : Female

Reviews

Peter McGinn

@narrator56

2021-06-23

I like Colin First enough to cut his films some slack sometimes, and this is one of those times. I thought the movie was entertaining overall, and well acted. At the same time I had a couple of problems with it. One was that I found the family flashbacks while he was at sea to be distracting. It wasn’t a big thing, but they didn’t seem meaningful or well placed as far as furthering the plot or his character. The other issue was perhaps because I wasn’t paying close enough attention, but a few gaps emerged for me as far as knowing what he was doing during the voyage. It made sense to me when I researched his story a bit, but until then there as some confusion for me. But I wouldn’t discourage anyone for watching it for that or any other reason.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-01-14

Based on the true story of aspiring round-the-world yachtsman Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth) this rather disappointingly sluggish drama tries to engage us in the man's lifelong passion. A passion that jeopardises his business, puts him into debt and relegates his wife and two young children to second place as he reckons he can circumnavigate the globe in his catamaran. This isn't a story that I was aware of, historically, but the facts are undeniable so it's really all down to how director James Marsh tells us the story of the determined man. In that respect this doesn't really deliver. Firth brings no sense of peril to the risks of the role. It's as if he was one of those people who would go off climbing mountains in January with just trainers and a t-shirt on. It emphasises way more the venal aspects of funding his participation but not really the competitive or characterful ones and the seaborne action - such as it is - is duck pond stuff that gives us little sense of just how treacherous the ocean can be. Though the denouement did rather swipe at a press that can be desperately fickle, this whole film just didn't ever get going and at almost two hours I felt it dragging as surely as if it had an anchor of it's own. It's a watchable film, but it's certainly not a memorable one.