Blood Work (2002)

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:

Abandoned Ship | Boat | Directed By Star | FBI Profiler | Serial Killer

Awards:

1 win

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:

USA:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Denmark:15 | 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:

Burbank, 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:

Continuity: When Terry and Graciella are talking on the boat dock, an American flag on a boat in the background changes from half mast to gone to full mast between shots. (It could, conceivably, have been lowered and re-hoisted very quickly, but it's unlikely.)

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Buddy Noone: Take a nap.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles (2004) (V)

Satisfying, non-think thriller; not a blockbuster for Eastwood

Retired FBI detective helps a young woman solve the murder of her sister--but he's got a personal motive: he himself received a heart transplant from the victim! Not a bad vehicle for producer-director-star Clint Eastwood, convincingly raspy and worn, and still imposing when he has to be. The script is full of police clichés, and the denouement isn't terribly surprising, but Clint has become a reassuring presence on the screen, and his human flaws and realistic aches and pains make him delightfully human. Supporting cast is quite good, making the best out of a routine, unmemorable script. **1/2 from ****