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 ometimes it just doesn't pay to have seen too many Serial
Killer movies. Take Clint Eastwood's "Blood Work" for example. It's a
decent enough Serial Killer movie, with some more of the nice, competent
direction Eastwood is known for -- very good, but not overly slick. But it's
also pretty standard stuff for a Serial Killer movie, and after having seen
hundreds before like it, I guessed these things 20 minutes into the film: the
identity of the killer, the killer's reasoning, and I also knew why it is that
retired FBI agent Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) has found himself with a new
heart after 2 long years of waiting. How do I know all of this stuff? Am I the
smartest man in the world? No. I've just seen way too many Serial Killer movies,
that's all.
Having known the answer that the movie will
"reveal" to me with about 20 minutes to go, I was forced to sit and
wait for the inevitable conclusion without any real enthusiasm. If you were
wondering, you need at least 20 minutes for the "Eureka!" moment,
followed by the confrontation, followed by the serial killer explaining the
how's, why's, and when's of his crimes, and then a final mano-a-mano
confrontation between cop and serial killer. The screenplay by Brian Helgeland
("Payback") is very competent, but it's just not very original, or
clever.
The film is probably too by the numbers in everything it
does, from the opening when we see McCaleb in pursuit of a serial killer suspect
who escapes, but not before inducing McCaleb into a career-ending stroke. Two
years later, McCaleb has a fresh new heart that has given him new lease on life,
but McCaleb soon discovers that the heart belongs to a young murder victim. And
soon the victim's sister (Wanda De Jesus) has appeared on McCaleb's boat to ask
for his assistance in tracking down her sister's killer as a sort of return
favor for the heart. McCaleb reluctantly agrees, and soon the same serial killer
he had been chasing 2 years earlier has resurfaced, wanting to play more
"games" with McCaleb.
The retired cop comes out of retirement to solve that
elusive last case is an old Cop Movie cliché. Actually, "Blood Work"
is filled with Cop Movie clichés, most notably the Professional Jerk played by
Paul Rodriguez. A Professional Jerk, in case you didn't know, is a character
invented by the screenwriter with the single express purpose of antagonizing the
hero as he goes about saving the world -- or in this case, solving the crime.
The PJ has no real reason to exist other to make an ass out of himself and
hinder the hero, and in the final analysis, the PJ is unnecessary and his
existence signals the presence of a lazy screenwriter.
If you could survive Paul Rodriguez's wildly unimaginative
Worst Cop of the Century act, "Blood Work" is worth a look, mostly
because it offers up some good performances by the other cast members. Wanda De
Jesus plays McCaleb's love interest, and does it very nicely. Tina Lifford shows
up as a Sheriff's Detective who helps McCaleb get access to police material.
Jeff Daniels also stars as an out-of-work bum who lives on a boat in the same
marina as McCaleb, and offers up some comedic bits.
The point is, if you pay enough attention to "Blood
Work" and if you've seen enough Serial Killer movies, then you know what to
look for. As a result, little hints and clues that the film throws at us becomes
magnified, and you begin to question everyone's motive. To be honest, I was a
little surprised that Wanda De Jesus' character turned out to be legit. I was
expecting her role to be magnified by movie's end, but that was a wrong guess on
my part. See? I don't know everything after all. (Personally, I'm shocked.)
Beyond the lack of originality or any real mystery, there
are plenty of other things to enjoy about "Blood Work". The noticeable
mortality that hangs over the head of former FBI agent McCaleb is a nice
addition, and also a nod to real life. After all, director/star Clint Eastwood
is in his '70s, and the film probably knew it couldn't have Eastwood doing a lot
of the things he used to do just, say, 10 years ago. Our hero is not only old,
but he's weak and unable to walk for more than a few yards without wheezing. As
a result there's more impact to McCaleb's relationship with Wanda De Jesus and
Tina Lifford.
"Blood Work" isn't all bad; it's just not that
great. But if you enjoy a competent thriller, competently directed and acted
(with the exception of Paul Rodriguez), and competently written (again, with the
exception of the Paul Rodriguez character), then "Blood Work" is for
you.
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