If one thing is for sure, it's that Mercy star Chris Pratt isn't afraid of taking risks, as he does in the new movie he stars in alongside Dune actress Rebecca Ferguson.
The argument could be made that this was one of Pratt's most physically demanding roles, just not in the way you might think. No, Mercy didn't require a superhero physique, but it presented a unique physical challenge: not being able to use his hands.
In Mercy, Pratt plays Chris Raven, a man put on trial for the murder of his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an AI judge, masterfully played by Rebecca Ferguson. However, while he has unlimited resources at his disposal, he is locked in a chair.
“When I speak, often [times] I'm gesticulating with my hands,” Pratt said of the physical limitations of his Mercy role. “You don't realize how often you might want to touch your own face in an hour, especially if you have tears or sweat.”
Another challenge was the “length of takes.” A lot of Pratt's scenes in the courthouse were filmed in isolation. These takes could last about an hour. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast and crew are filming the rest of the movie elsewhere.
“I [was] locked off in one location,” Pratt recalled. “They could go through the whole movie, and we did, oftentimes. We'd do 50 [or] 60-minute long takes.”
However, Pratt looked at this optimistically. While it was surely an adjustment to not be able to touch his face, Pratt thought it enhanced his performance.
“To not be able to [use my hands] was a challenge. But it also helped lend itself to the sense of panic and claustrophobia, being trapped,” he explained. “That was helpful, in that regard.”
How Chris Pratt and Kali Reis prepped for their Mercy roles
One limitation of Mercy is that it doesn't show much of Raven's relationship with his partner on the force, Jaq (Kali Reis). However, Reis and Pratt brainstormed ideas for their characters' backstories.
“Initially, Chris [and I] talked about how our characters became partners, 'cause there's a big backstory with him and his partners and how we came to be,” Reis recalled. “I told him a little bit about where I came from and what my backstory was and [he told me] his backstory, so we can get that [to] the point where you guys [the viewer] meet us.”
In Mercy, Pratt and Reis largely interact through screens. Ironically, this is also how they formed their ideas. Reis found this fitting.
“It's very relevant to the story, and it actually helped; it was realistic because we only really communicated through screens,” Reis explained. “That backstory was really, really important to build that bond so you could see that even through screens while you're watching as an audience member.”
Pratt praised Reis' agency when it came to forming her character.
“I'll say you were really, really keyed in on your backstory; it was really impressive,” Pratt raved. “I love that 'cause your character has to make choices. And you [are] really sticking to something, and if you don't know why your character is making that choice, it's not as easy to make that choice. You had a really strong backstory and where your character came from and why you would make the choices you made.”
Mercy will be released on Jan. 23.
