Blood Work (2002)

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.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Michael Connelly (novel), Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Anjelica Huston

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Terry McCaleb
Jeff Daniels	...	Jasper 'Buddy' Noone
Anjelica Huston	...	Dr. Bonnie Fox
Wanda De Jesus	...	Graciella Rivers (as Wanda De Jesús)
Tina Lifford	...	Detective Jaye Winston
Paul Rodriguez	...	Detective Ronaldo Arrango
Dylan Walsh	...	Detective John Waller
Mason Lucero	...	Raymond Torres
Gerry Becker	...	Mr. Toliver
Rick Hoffman	...	James Lockridge
Alix Koromzay	...	Mrs. Cordell
Igor Jijikine	...	Mikhail Bolotov
Dina Eastwood	...	Reporter #1
Beverly Leech	...	Reporter #2
June Kyoto Lu	...	Mrs. Kang (as June Kyoko Lu)

Storyline

Retired FBI profiler Terry McCaleb (Eastwood), who has recently had a heart transplant, is hired by Graciela Rivers (De Jesus), to investigate the death of her sister, Gloria, who happens to have given McCaleb his heart. On the case, he soon deduces that the killer, who staged the murder to look like a random robbery, may actually be a serial killer Terry was trailing for years in the FBI. Can the elderly and feeble McCaleb, who had intended to spend his retirement living on his boat in the Los Angeles harbor, and who can't drive, and has to nap regularly, muster up the endurance to find the killer?

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | heart transplant | fbi profiler | sister | murder | 

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Taglines:

He's a heartbeat away from catching the killer

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

9 August 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deuda de sangre

Filming Locations:

Acton, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£61,053 (UK) (27 December 2002)

Gross:

£165,692 (UK) (3 January 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malpaso Productions, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Connelly's "Blood Work" novel won both the Macavity Award and Anthony Award for Best Novel of 1998. The book also won France's Mystery Novel Grand Prix Award.

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Goofs

When Terry visits the detective in her office, the time on the clock behind her is inconsistent between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Detective Arango: [referring to McCaleb at crime scene] Okay, listen. Whatever happens, it'll his face on the front page.

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Connections

References Starsky and Hutch (1975)

User Reviews

The cast make it work but the ending is just so disappointing

Clintwood's 'Blood Work' may not be the best nor most stylish of its genre but it remains enjoyable for the most part mainly because of the cast. It's quite a simple film but I found the end revelation disappointing and the last half hour is a little too dramatic. During the entire first hour, Eastwood cleverly avoids excessive violence and gore and smoothly lets the tension build. Clintwood is supported by a brilliant cast that includes the fabulous Anjelica Huston, the elegant Wanda de Jesus, the charming Tina Lifford and the funny Jeff Daniels. The cast does well but Daniels's performance is ruined by the overdone last half hour. The film rests on Eastwood and it's great to see him play such a role at 71 and pull it off so well. The jazzy background score gives 'Blood Work' a classy touch. Thus, to sum it up, one can expect a simple but engaging whodunnit thriller which is ruined a bit by the ending but Eastwood and his cast prevent it from being a waste of time.