THE MERCY
Director: James Marsh
Cast: Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis, Mark Gatiss, Andrew Buchan, Ken Scott, Jonathan Bailey, Adrian Schiller, Anna Madeley
Rating: (M)
★★★★ (out of five)
This is the true story of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a single-handed round-the-world yacht race. Held in 1968-69, the prize and publicity caught the attention of Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth), a weekend sailor with a falling business.
Fired up by what he saw as the opportunity to re-boot his company, Crowhurst hired a publicist, ex-crime reporter Rodney Hallworth (David Thewlis), got some sponsors and borrowed heavily.
He pinned his future on a self-designed trimaran with unique safety features that he planned to market after the race.
Right from the start things went badly: the trimaran was not completely finished before Crowhurst set out and almost instantly became a liability. In an early scene on a calm sea the tri-hulled boat rolled so violently I started to feel ill, so I can only feel the utmost sympathy for the man stuck on it for months on end.
It is when Crowhurst steps on to the trimaran and sails towards the horizon, leaving behind his super-supportive wife, Clare (Rachel Weisz), and lovely children that the film becomes real. Firth casts his charm aside to show us the terror of a man forced to come face-to-face with his limitations and makes poor decision after poor decision.
- Christine Powley
