Cardiac Arrest
Bring a tub of popcorn and keep a defibrillator handy. You might be in need of resuscitation after viewing Blood Work. Clint Eastwood's new movie will pull your strings with its attempt at morality and captivate you with its crafty surprises, but in the end the portrayal of its geriatric protagonist as a sex symbol is likely to send you into cardiac arrest.
Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, Eastwood stars as retired FBI agent Terry McCaleb, a big-time serial killer investigator who was forced to call it quits after a heart attack nearly killed him. After waiting two long years for a suitable heart donor for his rare blood type, he undergoes transplantation surgery and has a decent recovery under the watchful eye of his concerned and motherly cardiologist (Anjelica Houston).
McCaleb's drawn out of retirement when a young woman named Graciella (Wanda De Jesus) approaches him to investigate her sister's murder. At first he refuses, but he agrees when Graciella reveals that her sister was his heart donor. Compelled by the debt he feels he owes the young woman whose heart saved his life, he'll stop at nothing to catch her killer.
Eastwood does a good job of setting up the main character, but then he leaves him to wander around in total obscurity. He builds McCaleb up as a moral and decent man, but then allows all that to fizzle out for some brief but gritty action, Dirty Harry-style. (Well, maybe a wheezing, old Dirty Harry.)
Eastwood's acting is top notch, but—as is said frequently in the movie—he appears to be "out of his jurisdiction." Even though the plot obviously calls for an older man, maybe it would have been more believable with someone younger looking. He looks so haggard in some shots, even the audience might feel compelled to suggest that he take his medicine. His old bureau buddy and brief "partner" Jaye (Tina Lifford) asks him more than once "Are you okay?"
The suspense and investigation elements are really quite clever and where the movie shines. The twists and puzzles that consume most of the screen time are paced perfectly and almost make you forget the limp action sequences and scattered stale humor long enough to enjoy yourself. I give the "whodunit" element an A. You may find yourself guessing the killer's identity early in the film, but then again, you may not. I didn't realize it until very late in the game.
If any older women lust for Eastwood as a sex symbol, they'll get their just deserts. The rest of us will just toss our cookies. I guess it's practically a rule to include some sort of romantic element in a cop vs. serial killer movie, but they could have spared us this time. Graciella is obviously half McCaleb's age, making the predictable intimate scene between the two just plain silly.
For those of you expecting action, just remember that our hero is a heart patient. That about sums it up. If Clint briefly shooting up a neighborhood and then quickly dismissing the harm that could have come to innocent bystanders sounds like fun, then you are in for a treat. Did I mention he's not even a licensed private investigator? The brand of vigilante justice displayed here is likely to give real law enforcers a good laugh. Detectives Arrango (Paul Rodriguez) and Waller (Dylan Walsh) are seen frequently trying to shut down Eastwood's illegal investigation, but never seem to succeed. Rodriguez does succeed however at dishing up his trademark racial satire. He makes a jibe at McCaleb by suggesting that he's a "waste of a good Mexican heart." The rest of the desperate comedy is just as nauseating.
Another recognizable face is Jeff Daniels as the lazy neighbor Buddy, who McCaleb pays to chauffer him around during the investigation. Buddy is almost charming at times.
Blood Work has a pulse, but it's very faint. Minor palpitations of greatness from its cast and a semi-consistent level of suspense suggest that the picture might just be in need of a pacemaker rather than a transplant.
Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, Eastwood stars as retired FBI agent Terry McCaleb, a big-time serial killer investigator who was forced to call it quits after a heart attack nearly killed him. After waiting two long years for a suitable heart donor for his rare blood type, he undergoes transplantation surgery and has a decent recovery under the watchful eye of his concerned and motherly cardiologist (Anjelica Houston).
McCaleb's drawn out of retirement when a young woman named Graciella (Wanda De Jesus) approaches him to investigate her sister's murder. At first he refuses, but he agrees when Graciella reveals that her sister was his heart donor. Compelled by the debt he feels he owes the young woman whose heart saved his life, he'll stop at nothing to catch her killer.
Eastwood does a good job of setting up the main character, but then he leaves him to wander around in total obscurity. He builds McCaleb up as a moral and decent man, but then allows all that to fizzle out for some brief but gritty action, Dirty Harry-style. (Well, maybe a wheezing, old Dirty Harry.)
Eastwood's acting is top notch, but—as is said frequently in the movie—he appears to be "out of his jurisdiction." Even though the plot obviously calls for an older man, maybe it would have been more believable with someone younger looking. He looks so haggard in some shots, even the audience might feel compelled to suggest that he take his medicine. His old bureau buddy and brief "partner" Jaye (Tina Lifford) asks him more than once "Are you okay?"
The suspense and investigation elements are really quite clever and where the movie shines. The twists and puzzles that consume most of the screen time are paced perfectly and almost make you forget the limp action sequences and scattered stale humor long enough to enjoy yourself. I give the "whodunit" element an A. You may find yourself guessing the killer's identity early in the film, but then again, you may not. I didn't realize it until very late in the game.
If any older women lust for Eastwood as a sex symbol, they'll get their just deserts. The rest of us will just toss our cookies. I guess it's practically a rule to include some sort of romantic element in a cop vs. serial killer movie, but they could have spared us this time. Graciella is obviously half McCaleb's age, making the predictable intimate scene between the two just plain silly.
For those of you expecting action, just remember that our hero is a heart patient. That about sums it up. If Clint briefly shooting up a neighborhood and then quickly dismissing the harm that could have come to innocent bystanders sounds like fun, then you are in for a treat. Did I mention he's not even a licensed private investigator? The brand of vigilante justice displayed here is likely to give real law enforcers a good laugh. Detectives Arrango (Paul Rodriguez) and Waller (Dylan Walsh) are seen frequently trying to shut down Eastwood's illegal investigation, but never seem to succeed. Rodriguez does succeed however at dishing up his trademark racial satire. He makes a jibe at McCaleb by suggesting that he's a "waste of a good Mexican heart." The rest of the desperate comedy is just as nauseating.
Another recognizable face is Jeff Daniels as the lazy neighbor Buddy, who McCaleb pays to chauffer him around during the investigation. Buddy is almost charming at times.
Blood Work has a pulse, but it's very faint. Minor palpitations of greatness from its cast and a semi-consistent level of suspense suggest that the picture might just be in need of a pacemaker rather than a transplant.
