Blood Work (Full Screen)

 

 

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This Aug/2002 release of Clint Eastwood's thriller Bloodwork,has now been re-released on DVD by Warner's.If you haven't noticed,they have been steadily re-releasing most of his works onto DVD,either singly and/or sets,in a remastered form and boy do they look good.This movie is no exception and as always this enhances the viewing experience tremendously.
The story line in this well cast movie is about one Lt.McCaleb,retired FBI profiler.One night he is on scene investigating a homicide when he spots the suspect.He chases him but has a heart attack while trying to climb a chain link fence.The hooded suspect stops and starts back towards him which enables McCaleb to get a few shots off at him,and he wounds the fleeing suspect.McCaleb goes out and we find that he is not only still alive but has received a heart transplant from a young lady who was fatally shot in a robbery around this same time.He also is now retired and living on a boat,and his neighbour is a jolly sort of guy by the name of Jasper Noone(Jeff Daniels),who lives off his dad's stipends.
One day NcCaleb is visited by a woman by the name of Graciella Rivers(Wanda De Jesus).It seems McCaleb was the recipient of his dead sisters heart and she reasons he owes it to her sister to find her killer.Reluctantly he agrees but as his inquiries and investigation widen his heart is starting to act for the worse under the strain.His doctor Dr Fox(Angelica Huston)continually warns him against such folly but McCaleb determinedly soldiers on.The trail has many branches and some of them lead to seemingly dead ends but there is a grisly connection to all of them.Witnesses even get killed and when he goes to the location of one of the murders at an ATM machine,the murderer himself unknowingly(to McCaleb)stands right behind him.As McCaleb's heart saps his energy he enlists the help of Jaspar,whom he calls "Buddy",to drive him around to various locales.A Russian suspect who he interrogates at his work place roughs up the weakened McCaleb and escapes,only to turn up dead later.He visits the wife of the ATM victim and discovers the killer has been taking souvenirs.Not only that but close studying of security tapes of the crime scenes reveals the killer is sending McCaleb verbal messages.
Graciella and her sisters son visit McCaleb one evening on his boat.The son asks McCaleb what the numbers mean that were found at the original crime scene.He says he could never figure them out and the boy replies that there is no number one.McCaleb and the Graciella visit the hospital next day and talk to his doctor.Someone he believes has hacked into the blood donor files and that the motive for the killings was their blood types not money.Sure enough this turns out to be the case as the main victims names/blood types are all on the list.The revelation finally hits McCaleb and he pays a visit to his boat pal Buddy.It was his last name that finally gave him the answer....no(one),as in no"one" in the numbers left at the original crime scene.Buddy is the killer and admits it at gun point.He has kidnapped Graciella and her sisters son and when he attempts to leave McCaleb wounds him in the arm.He forces Noone to take him to their location;on a boat due for demolition run aground in the harbour.Noone temporarily escapes and when McCaleb finds and frees Graciella and her sisters son,he tells them to pull his boat back from the one they're on until they get his signal.However the killer has already hidden aboard the boat and when he reveals himself she deliberately rams the boat into the derelict boat and Noone goes flying off onto its deck.Lying there he taunts McCaleb telling him he needs him and other lies.One shot and he lands on shallow water on the boat.Defiantly he raises his head out of the water but Graciella is there to push it back down.
A taut thriller with a totally surprising twist to its ending,this is a thoroughly enjoyable entry in the Eastwood canon and proves,as if he needed to prove anything,what a great talent he is.I can say with some satisfaction that while I was never a fan of his spaghetti westerns,I latched onto his works in the late 60s and early 70s.I could see the talent on the rise then and knew great things would happen with Eastwood.And while no one ever has a perfect record,Eastwood has come as close as any to accomplishing that in a stellar acting and directing career;while making tons of coin at the box office for Warner Brothers along the way.His is truly a Hollywood success story where Eastwood has admirably done it..."his way",and I'm am grateful to have been along for the ride all these years and am still amazed at his on going output.A true talent and original.Thank you Mr.Eastwood.
This newly remastered edition gives us a clear and crisp picture in its' original a/r.Extras include a featurette on the production end of things,a conversation with Eastwood,De Jesus and Paul Rodriguez and the trailer.
All in all a highly enjoyable and recommended Eastwood picture guaranteed to satisfy all the way to the end.

Tonight was Clint Eastwood night in the Dravis household...again. Just can't get enough of that guy!

In Blood Work, Eastwood plays a retired, aging FBI profiler who recently had a heart transplant. Although not completely well, he's tough, gruff and smart as a whip. When his heart donor's grieving sister (Wanda De Jesus) asks him to find her dead sibling's killer, he feels obligated to do it even if it puts his health at risk.

This is a gritty, no-nonsense role and Eastwood is superb as Terry McCaleb. Jeff Daniels, who plays Eastwood's neighbor and younger sidekick, is well cast, also. Brian Helgeland, "L.A. Confidential" Oscar-winner, wrote a sharp, sensible script that is pure Eastwood all the way. "Blood Work" is adapted from a novel by Michael Connelly.

Some people may chuckle at a brief love scene between Eastwood and De Jesus, but I think he will always be a sensual man, so had no problems with that. It was a realistic portrayal... But I did giggle when his real-life wife, Dina Ruiz, popped up in a scene with microphone in hand, trying to get a quote from Eastwood's character, Terry McCaleb. That was a cameo role at its best. :-)

Eastwood is my favorite all-time actor, no matter what his age. The man has stamina and great box-office appeal at 72 or 22!

Blood Work is an exciting thriller with edge-of-your-seat pacing, great action and an excellent cast. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Betty Dravis, July 22, 2010
Author of "Dream Reachers" (with Chase Von) and other books

sure this movie takes awhile to get going,but it does work.there's a bit of a murder(and more)mystery to solve,but unlike most formulaic movies of the genre this takes a different approach to things.i found it refreshing actually.this is really a thinking person's movie,and it's nice to have your brain engaged.it's very intelligent,with a good mix of characters.it's not predictable,even though you may think you have it figured out.it has more than one surprising revelation.if you only looking for an action packed,high suspense film,this probably isn't it.i think it's a testament to the strong writing and direction that a slower paced movie such as this succeeds as well as it does.i never found it boring once.you are always given enough to maintain a steady level of interest.and that's all that's needed you guessing and hooked.i won't say this is a masterpiece.i don't think it's that kind of movie.it's low key and character(as well as story)driven. an easy 4/5

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1.0 out of 5 stars blood work
this is the worst detective movie i have ever seen. in twenty minutes i solved the crime that it takes clint eastwood's character the rest of the movie to solve. Read more

Published on July 12 2004 by tom barford

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent crime-thriller flick but awkward at times.
I happened to have had a fascination with the whole way that forensic investigators have used unusual evidence to track down and find who the real criminals behind crimes really... Read more

Published on Jun 10 2004 by Distant Voyageur

3.0 out of 5 stars Read the book...
I give kudos to Mr. Eastwood for seeing a great book in the novel - Michael Connelly is a gifted writer - and developing a movie, however, the movie does not have the suspense of... Read more

Published on April 12 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Not all that great but far from bad.
This movie is a rather average crime drama about a retired FBI agent who recieved a heart transplant from a murder victim and is now on the case of solving the murder and finding... Read more

Published on Feb 26 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Okay, how long will it take you to figure this one out?
I would expect a wide range of responses to "Blood Work," with the key factor being at what point in the proceedings you went from being behind in figuring out what was... Read more

Published on Feb 7 2004 by Lawrance M. Bernabo

2.0 out of 5 stars Piles on the clichés
The innocent black man mistakenly convicted of murder; the last-minute attempt for a reprieve. Been there; done that. Read more

Published on Feb 2 2004 by Hinkle Goldfarb

3.0 out of 5 stars Eastwood still has it.
3.5 stars. The Legend that is "Clint Eastwood" often conceals the fact that Mr. Eastwood is a very good actor, and one of the best directors working today. Read more

Published on Jan 22 2004 by D. Knouse

5.0 out of 5 stars Farfetched plot, but still a good story. Fine acting too.
I like Clint Eastwood. So naturally I enjoyed this 2002 film in which he stars as well as directs. He's over 70 years old now and, instead of making believe that this is not... Read more

Published on Jan 10 2004 by Linda Linguvic

4.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining detective procedural melodrama.
Based on the best seller by Michael Connelly, with a good-but-not-as-good-as- "L.A. Confidential" script by Brian Helgeland (which he also adapted), "Blood Work" serves as a fine... Read more

Published on Jan 3 2004 by M J Heilbron Jr.

4.0 out of 5 stars Clint Eastwood is cool
I would definately recommend this movie for those who like murder mysteries and a good fight involving guns. Read more

Published on Dec 28 2003 by Rob

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