SummaryA retired FBI profiler is brought back into service under unusual circumstances involving his own blood analysis to track a ruthless serial killer. (Warner Bros.)
SummaryA retired FBI profiler is brought back into service under unusual circumstances involving his own blood analysis to track a ruthless serial killer. (Warner Bros.)
A violent, improbable movie done in tersely elegant style, and it may be the last action movie for one of the cinema's great action stars, Clint Eastwood.
Good entertainment.
I like the plot of 'Blood Work'. I'm unsure if it would hold up if you went through with a fine-tooth comb, but it certainly gave me the required enjoyment levels. Clint Eastwood gives a sturdy performance, as do Jeff Daniels and Wanda De Jesus; elsewhere on the cast, neat to see Anjelica Huston and Rick Hoffman, Louis Litt himself, appear in smaller roles.
It's not as unpredictable as it perhaps thinks it is, due to the casting more than anything, but I had a fun enough time with it.
Eastwood's earnestness has its own stoic charm. There's something nutty but also heroic in how he plays this macho-man-with-the-heart-of-a-woman premise with a straight face.
There's a certain pleasure in seeing a thriller that's almost a relic of a bygone era. There's nothing flashy about Blood Work, no in-your-face nihilism, no hot young actors you'd know from the WB network if you ever watched it.
At his best, Clint directed as he acted -- sparely, laconically, but concisely, with a clean precision. There are flashes of that trademark style early on, but it soon degenerates badly.
For the life of me, I can't help but be constantly entertained by Clint Eastwood, regardless of whether or not the film he's in severely lacks efficacy, energy or the occasional bout of grace. "Blood Work" never even comes close to bordering into the "bad" territory of the Eastwood oeuvre, but there are some glaring issues, namely the clunkiness of the narrative, which constantly stumbles over its own feet in its efforts to "be cool" with some of the plot's more sensitive elements. Whether it's with certain telling camera movements or even the way a particular word is annunciated in a line of dialogue, you definitely get the feeling that the movie thinks it's not signaling the importance of something in the plot. Though, it totally is and you're well the hell aware of it. Clint Eastwood, however, tugs this **** along at a decent clip, what with his innate charm and charisma. And the narrative, while imperfect, contains enough momentum and intrigue to keep the audience at bay for most of the running time. Again, it's not even going to crack the top 20 Clint Eastwood movies for me, but it's mostly competently done.
I never knew the work of Clint Eastwood very well, neither as an actor nor as a director. I've seen some movies directed or starred by him, but he's usually one of those actors/directors that I've never paid attention to. It's a mistake, I know, and I am willing to correct that. He's one of those people who know cinema with an intimacy and proximity reserved for very few and it was with great pleasure that I watched him in this film, where he accumulates the functions of director and protagonist.
The story is simple, but it works quite well: a retired police officer, who received the heart of a murdered donor, is invited by the donor's sister to investigate the crime. However, he quickly realizes that her death is linked to a serial killer he was trying to arrest when he fell ill. Of course, there are some details that I found unrealistic, such as the simple fact that a family member of an organ donor is able to identify, by chance, one of the patients who received those organs. I cannot imagine this happening in real life. But if you decide to ignore these details, the plot works and creates an effective and elegant thriller. There are good action scenes, but they are punctual and may not satisfy the appetite of those who seek it.
Clint Eastwood showed remarkable agility, given his age and even anticipating, as is often the case, the use of stunts. And besides, he adapted perfectly to the character and to what he asked of him as an actor. Jeff Daniels also deserves congratulations. He has a character that begins by looking totally insignificant, but ultimately proving to be important. I don't want to say what's going to happen, I'll just recommend you to keep an eye out for the way he talks and behaves. Wanda de Jesus fulfilled what was asked of her, and gave the film a romantic and feminine touch.
Ultimately, this movie is worth for the good performance of the actors and the good plot. It is not the best movie of any of those involved, but it has value for what it is, allowing us an hour and a half of good entertainment.
Blood Work bleeds with discomfort.
A very interesting concept that doesn't unlock much depth. Eastwood directs and acts in this somewhat ironic train wreck that would otherwise be successful if not contaminated with poor lines and an underhanded script that feels copy and pasted together.
Has a lot going for it: intriguing premise, actors that are normally good (but wasted here), etc. That's where the goodness ends, however. A laugh-out-loud-bad stinker of a movie in which *you* know what Eastwood's next "discovery" will be in the murder case a long time before does, and every potentially powerful scene is undermined by coarse acting, bad script and cheesy music. To be avoided.
A dreary overstretched, silly story, not worth the valuable time it takes to watch. It's about as juvenile as too many other Eastwood Shows of this time. 2 stars would even be too high. Coupled with the fact it lost a motza of money tells us the audiences thought so too. Only just made it to the end of this for comment, but never again.
The screenplay is given little more treatment than a cheap TV EP - with so many far-fetched situations that defy all logic. Eastwood's just out of Massive Open Heart surgery for a full heart replacement - but dodges speeding cars, and fights violent thugs, along with the juvenile addition of a 'love' interest between the 70+year-old Eastwood and a 30-something woman is laughable. Wish I hadn’t wasted the time.