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 night.
Blood Work
2002
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Blood Work
2002
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Plot summary
Still recovering from a heart transplant, a retired FBI profiler returns to service when his own blood analysis offers clues to the identity of a serial killer.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
January 22, 2016 at 06:25 PM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Good For One Viewing
A Good Heart
Blood Work casts Clint Eastwood once again with law enforcement although Clint is bowing to age and reality in this film. He's not Dirty Harry here, in fact he's got a real serious health issue, a really unique one for law enforcement.
While in pursuit of a fleeing felon, FBI profiler Clint suffered a heart attack it was the culmination of some systemic heart problems and he waited for several months for a transplant. When he gets it Wanda DeJesus comes to him with a request that he look into the murder of her sister which the cops have at a low priority, the sister being at the wrong place, wrong time at a convenience store holdup.
Of course with a little investigation Eastwood discovers that that story doesn't fly, the sister's murder is connected with another homicide and the usual jurisdictional police problems prevented law enforcement from seeing the connection. The sister's murder happened within LAPD territory and the other is being investigated by the LA County Sheriff.
Eastwood has history with Paul Rodriguez of the LAPD the detective assigned, but he has better history with Tina Lifford of the LA County Sheriff's office. She's a great help to him working it all out and it's a pretty scary connection all these incidents have with Clint.
I cannot forget the presence of Anjelica Huston who is Clint's cardiologist and worried about the stress this is putting on her transplant patient. Clint is not doing Dirty Harry style action, but still it's a strain for someone 71 with a heart transplant. And Jeff Daniels plays Clint's neighbor on the marina where he lives on his boat and his man Friday for all the small details of his life.
Blood Work is a good thriller and nice to see Clint playing a man who knows his limitations even if he forgets every so often.
functional police procedural
FBI profiler Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) is retired after having a heart attack while chasing a suspect down. He's living on a boat next to friendly neighbor Buddy No one (Jeff Daniels). After his heart transplant, Graciella Rivers (Wanda De Jesus) tells him her sister was killed and he has her heart. McCaleb investigates and finds the killer has killed others before. Detective Ronaldo Arrango (Paul Rodriguez) is downright hostile and with partner Detective John Waller (Dylan Walsh) are leery to help him. Dr. Bonnie Fox (Anjelica Huston) quits as his doctor telling him his heart can't take the work load.
The killer is pretty obvious. The case is pretty much every day TV police procedural. The movie is a little slow and a little long. Clint is good as the old grizzled retired cop with health issues. It's a function murder investigation but nothing that stands out too much.