Rating- * * * * (4/5)
This is another early fall gem that slipped through the cracks for me and the rest of America. It is the latest work from actor/director Clint Eastwood, one of the greatest action stars of the 20th Century, and the old man has definitely still got it. Eastwood stars as Terry McCaleb, an ageing FBI man who, when we first meet him, is working on a case involving a spree killer who seems to be killing just to get McCaleb’s attention. When McCaleb finally finds the killer and gives chase, his heart gives out. Because of his rare blood type, McCaleb’s odds of finding a compatible donor for a heart transplant look pretty bleak, until strangely a murder victim is wheeled in with exactly the same strange blood type as McCaleb. McCaleb survives thanks to the new heart and a few months later is retired and living on his houseboat when he is approached by a Hispanic woman named Graciella Rivers (Wanda De Jesus). Graciella tells McCaleb that she has a murder case he might be interested in solving. Graciella’s sister was recently killed in an apparently random shooting. So, why the special interest? Graciella’s sister was the heart donor that saved McCaleb. Feeling somewhat of an obligation to solve this case, McCaleb sets off on an investigation with the help of his goofy neighbor, Buddy Noone (Jeff Daniels). He comes across a few obstacles along the way, including dealing with the incompetent and competitive LAPD detectives assigned to the case (Paul Rodriguez). As a police procedural, Blood Work is among the cream of the crop with its clever pile of clues all leading to a shocker of a discovery. But this movie also works on another level apart from the police mystery; it also works as a kind of personal journey for Terry McCaleb. McCaleb is a notably deeper, more complicated character than most cop movie heroes, especially with the added element of his age and physical deterioration, which Eastwood handles masterfully. We get to see McCaleb’s brilliant FBI skills at work while at the same time we see him facing his ever-present mortality and a developing relationship with Graciella. Eastwood has done a great job transitioning his career from his younger, more brash roles to the more thoughtful, weathered characters he has played in his latter years (Unforgiven is another great example) and Blood Work really highlights his talent as a filmmaker and as an actor who knows how to pick the right roles. Eastwood’s supporting cast are all much better than you would expect for a police drama (perhaps a reflection on Eastwood’s directing talent); Anjelica Huston as McCaleb’s no-nonsense doctor who constantly warns him about straining his heart; Wanda De Jesus as the strong-willed and revenge-bent Graciella whose affection for McCaleb grows ever so slowly during the movie; and Jeff Daniels as the absent minded and harmless neighbor Buddy Noone, who takes a suspicious interest in McCaleb’s case. Paul Rodriguez overdoes it quite a bit in his role as the over-competitive LAPD detective assigned to the case and his performance is awkwardly out of place with the rest of the movie, but ultimately it is forgivable. Overall, Blood Work is a classic, suspenseful police drama with a lot more depth and complexity to it than the genre is used to. I recommend it to fans of suspense, police dramas, and Clint Eastwood.