Blood Work
"Two Thumbs Up!" -Ebert and Roper
FBI profiler Terry McCaleb almost always gets to the heart of a case. This time, that heart beats inside him. He's a cardiac patient who received a murder victim's heart. And the donor's sister asks him to make good on his second chance by finding the killer. That's just the first of many twists in a smart, gritty suspense thriller that's "vintage Eastwood: swift, surprising and very, very exciting" (Jim Svedja, KNX/CBS Radio).
Clint Eastwood produces, directs and stars in this edgy acclaimed mystery based on Michael Connelly's novel and scripted by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential). With a superb cast brought to a hard boil playing characters to quicken your pulse and hold you spellbound, Blood Work works exceptionally well.
Member Reviews
Good movie - basilbenz
I found this to be one of those films I really enjoyed on the first viewing, but once you know the surprise ending, the second viewing isn't nearly as good.
It's a typically-entertaining Clint Eastwood film. He makes few dull movies, I'll say that for him. Now that he's gotten older, his weather-beaten face makes him all the more interesting to view.
I didn't find Anjelica Huston's weather-beaten face, however, as believable. Her tough demeanor, including vocabulary, is not something a doctor would have, as she plays here. Paul Rodriguez also is stupidly profane in his role but he does have a few funny lines.
The main attraction of the story is the twist near the end so, as mentioned, one look is just about right for this film...and it is worth one look f you want a decent diversion for one nigBloody Forgettable - SPSullivan
"Blood Work" is a diverting if ultimately forgettable entry into the Eastwood crime drama oeuvre. As a mystery, the film sustains the audience's interest without ever really switching into high gear. It's a medium-grade puzzler which unravels in a very standard manner; viewers will probably find themselves figuring out the clues long before the characters do. A final showdown following the revelation of the killer's identity is nicely shot by Eastwood, but surprisingly lacks tension. Perhaps it's because we've seen it all before; very little here will catch genre aficionados off guard. Instead, the movie's real highlight is Eastwood's performance as Terry McCaleb. Unlike some of Hollywood's aging elite, Eastwood has recognised that he can't credibly play the same roles he enjoyed thirty years ago, and has turned this fact of life to his advantage. McCaleb, then, comes across as a brilliantly realised character. His health problems help to drive the story and involve the audience without coming across as simply a plot device. As a character who possesses weaknesses which he is nonetheless able to overcome, McCaleb appears far more heroic than a dozen of the unstoppable machines trudging through action flicks these days. Only a series of rather gratuitous romantic developments feel tacked on and distracting.GOOD - len1970
It may not be an impressive movie, but it is quite the cop mistery stuff. It is an adaptation of a Michael Connelly book which made me get it, if you have read his stuff you know they tend to keep you reading, the movie is pretty much the same, perhaps a bit slow but exciting just the same.
Member Reviews
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Good movie - basilbenz
I found this to be one of those films I really enjoyed on the first viewing, but once you know the surprise ending, the second viewing isn't nearly as good.
It's a typically-entertaining Clint Eastwood film. He makes few dull movies, I'll say that for ...Bloody Forgettable - SPSullivan
"Blood Work" is a diverting if ultimately forgettable entry into the Eastwood crime drama oeuvre. As a mystery, the film sustains the audience's interest without ever really switching into high gear. It's a medium-grade puzzler which unravels in a very standard ...GOOD - len1970
It may not be an impressive movie, but it is quite the cop mistery stuff. It is an adaptation of a Michael Connelly book which made me get it, if you have read his stuff you know they tend to keep you reading, the movie is pretty much the same, perhaps a ...