Blood Work (2002)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

Michael Connelly (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 August 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

He's a heartbeat away from catching the killer

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

FBI Profiler | Heart Transplant | Serial Killer | Murder | Sister

Awards:

1 win

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14	2:30 AM	HBO
Sun. Nov. 22	4:10 AM	HBO

Cast

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)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Denmark:15 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #39126) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Acton, California, USA

Company:

Malpaso Productions

Trivia:

Det. Arrango's badge number is 14110. McCaleb uses Arrango's name to call into the 911 center to check the time on the convenience store surveillance system, and this is the badge number he gives.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Dr. Fox is doing her blood work on Terry, an x-ray is used whilst performing the biopsy. Both times, neither she nor anyone around are wearing protective lead garments against radiation exposure, which is a standard practice in any medical establishment. In addition, an endomyocardial biopsy, as it is called, is not preformed in a medical office as shown in the movie. It is performed in a cardiac cath lab, which is effectively, an operating room. All personnel are in scrubs and a sterile field is required. Lead is worn underneath the surgical gowns. From an outside perspective, it may not be readily apparent that the staff in a cath lab are wearing lead IF they are wearing surgical gowns appropriately.

Quotes:

Terry McCaleb: You guys can... keep the donuts.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Making 'Blood Work' (2002) (V)

Blood Runs Dry by the Latter Acts.

Clint Eastwood's direction sadly loses its way late in this otherwise suspenseful drama from the co-writer of "L.A. Confidential" (Brian Helgeland). Eastwood is a famous detective, but a massive heart attack just as he is about to catch a crazed serial killer forces him to an early retirement. Fast-forward a bit and Eastwood has received a new heart from a woman who has recently passed away. Slowly, but surely Eastwood's body is accepting the new organ and it appears that a healthy recovery is imminent. Things change though as a Hispanic woman (Wanda De Jesus) pays Eastwood a visit one day and explains that his new heart come from her younger sister, a woman who was killed in a convenient store. Quickly it becomes crystal clear that the killer in the store is in fact the same man who eluded Eastwood earlier. Now Eastwood is back one last time with a score to settle. Through Eastwood's journey he has to indulge a pesky neighbor (Jeff Daniels) who wants to assist in the case, dodge cops Paul Rodriguez and Dylan Walsh and convince doctor Anjelica Huston that he owes De Jesus his time and help. "Blood Work" does do well for the majority of its running time, but the punchline comes way too fast and the finale is unsatisfying to say the least. Eastwood is pretty good as usual and Daniels is excellent in a comical supporting turn. Everyone else though ends up struggling to keep their intensity up as the production progresses. The "Hardy Boys" routine and the unnecessary blossoming romance between Eastwood and De Jesus make "Blood Work" play more like a television movie of the week than a theatrical release. With all this said, "Blood Work" does do enough good things to keep the audience watching and intrigued---most of the time anyway. 4 stars out of 5.