Blood Ties (2013)

Two brothers, on either side of the law, face off over organized crime in Brooklyn during the 1970s.

Director:

Guillaume Canet

Writers:

Guillaume Canet (screenplay), James Gray (screenplay)

Stars:

Clive Owen, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clive Owen	...	Chris
Billy Crudup	...	Frank
Marion Cotillard	...	Monica
Mila Kunis	...	Natalie
Zoe Saldana	...	Vanessa
Matthias Schoenaerts	...	Scarfo
James Caan	...	Leon
Noah Emmerich	...	Lieutenant Connellan
Lili Taylor	...	Marie
Domenick Lombardozzi	...	Mike
John Ventimiglia	...	Valenti
Griffin Dunne	...	McNally
Jamie Hector	...	Nick
Yul Vazquez	...	Fabio De Soto
Eve Hewson	...	Yvonne

Storyline

New York, 1974. Fifty-year-old Chris (Clive Owen) has just been released on good behavior after several years in prison following a gangland murder. Reluctantly waiting for him outside the gates is his younger brother, Frank (Billy Crudup), a cop with a bright future. Chris and Frank have always been different, and their father, Leon (James Caan), who raised them alone, seems to favor Chris despite all his troubles. Yet blood ties are the ones that bind, and Frank, hoping that his brother has changed, is willing to give him a chance - he shares his home, finds him a job, and helps him reconnect with his children and his ex-wife, Monica (Marion Cotillard). But Chris' inevitable descent back into a life of crime proves to be the last in a long line of betrayals, and after his brother's latest transgressions, Frank banishes him from his life. But it's already too late, as the brothers' destiny is bound together, forever.

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Plot Keywords:

family relationships | brother brother relationship | murder | 1970s | love | 

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Taglines:

Crime runs in the family.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, pervasive language, some sexual content and brief drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mark Wahlberg was originally cast in the lead role, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

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Goofs

The armored truck in the movie has LED-type tail and reverse lights. These lights became standard during the 2000s and did not exist in the 1970s, when the events in the movie happen.

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Quotes

Leon: [to his son, Frank] Listen, your mother... your mother was a bitch. She was a real bitch. She beat the shit out of your brother and sister on a daily basis with whatever she had in her hand. She was a violent drunk, she was a twisted fucking slut.

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Connections

References The Godfather: Part II (1974)

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Soundtracks

Heroin
Written by Lou Reed
Performed by The Velvet Underground and Nico

User Reviews

Unoriginal Soap Opera

In 1974, in New York, the criminal Chris (Clive Owen) is released from prison and his younger brother Frank (Billy Crudup), who is a honest police officer, brings him home expecting that Chris is regenerated. However after an incident, Chris returns to the life of crime, affecting Frank's career and the lives of his ex-wife Monica (Marion Cotillard) and his present wife Natalie (Mila Kunis). But when Chris discovers that the criminal Scarfo (Matthias Schoenaerts) wants to kill Frank that is living with his ex-wife Vanessa (Zoe Saldana), he has to decide whether he flees or save his brother's life.

"Blood Ties" is a movie with an impressive cast and set decoration, including several cars from the 70's. Unfortunately the story is an unoriginal soap opera that wastes the cast. There are many movies with brothers on the opposite sides of the law and the screenplay of "Blood Ties" is not engaging and does not hold the attention of the viewer. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Laços de Sangue" ("Blood Ties")

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

France USA

Language:

English Italian Spanish

Release Date:

30 October 2013 (France)

Also Known As:

Rivals

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,912, 23 March 2014

Gross USA:

$42,472

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,566,435

Company Credits

Production Co:

Trésor Films, Worldview Entertainment, Caneo Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min 144 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1