Blood Work
Encyclopedia
Blood Work is a 2002 American mystery
suspense
thriller film produced, directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood
. The film co-stars Jeff Daniels
, Wanda De Jesús
, and Anjelica Huston
. It is based off the novel of the same name
by Michael Connelly
.
Eastwood won the Future Film Festival Digital Award at the Venice Film Festival
. It is loosely based on the 1998 novel by the same name
by Michael Connelly
.
goes outside to address the media when he spots the killer in the crowd. But the chase ends after McCaleb suffers a heart attack.
Now retired, he lives in a houseboat on the San Francisco bay. He is approached by a woman named Graciella Rivers, who's sister was killed during a robbery and asks him to solve the case. It gets personal when McCaleb realizes the vicitm was the woman who's heart was transplanted into him.
Terry McCaleb
is an ailing veteran FBI
agent who has been given a second chance at life by receiving the heart
of a murder victim. Terry is visited by the murder victim's sister, Graciella Rivers, who informs him that he is alive only because of receiving the deceased's heart and asks him to investigate who killed her.
McCaleb defies the advice of his physician, Dr. Bonnie Fox, and sets out to find the killer with the help of his neighbor Buddy Lockridge, who lives on a houseboat near his, and a local police detective, Jaye Winston.
, with the consensus being that it was "a routine, but competently made thriller marred by lethargic pacing". However, A. O. Scott
of New York Times admitted that it was similar to many other of Clint Eastwood's films, thought that "there is something comforting in seeing this old warhorse trot gamely out of the gate for yet another run on familiar turf."
The film was not a box office success, grossing $26.2 million on a budget of $50 million.
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
thriller film produced, directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
. The film co-stars Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
, Wanda De Jesús
Wanda De Jesus
Wanda De Jesus is a Puerto Rican-American actress. She is most notably recognized for her role as the fourth actress to portray Santana Andrade in NBC's soap opera Santa Barbara...
, and Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
. It is based off the novel of the same name
Blood Work (novel)
Blood Work is a novel written by Michael Connelly which marks the first appearance of Terry McCaleb. The book was used as the basis for the 2002 movie of the same name, starring Clint Eastwood...
by Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. His books, which have been translated into 36 languages, have garnered him many awards...
.
Eastwood won the Future Film Festival Digital Award at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. It is loosely based on the 1998 novel by the same name
Blood Work (novel)
Blood Work is a novel written by Michael Connelly which marks the first appearance of Terry McCaleb. The book was used as the basis for the 2002 movie of the same name, starring Clint Eastwood...
by Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. His books, which have been translated into 36 languages, have garnered him many awards...
.
Plot
During a homicide investigation, FBI agent Terry McCalebTerry McCaleb
Terrell "Terror" McCaleb is a fictional character featured in the novels of Michael Connelly.- Blood Work:Terry McCaleb was a relentless criminal profiler for the Federal Bureau of Investigation assigned to a field office in Los Angeles due to the frequency of his services being needed in the city...
goes outside to address the media when he spots the killer in the crowd. But the chase ends after McCaleb suffers a heart attack.
Now retired, he lives in a houseboat on the San Francisco bay. He is approached by a woman named Graciella Rivers, who's sister was killed during a robbery and asks him to solve the case. It gets personal when McCaleb realizes the vicitm was the woman who's heart was transplanted into him.
Terry McCaleb
Terry McCaleb
Terrell "Terror" McCaleb is a fictional character featured in the novels of Michael Connelly.- Blood Work:Terry McCaleb was a relentless criminal profiler for the Federal Bureau of Investigation assigned to a field office in Los Angeles due to the frequency of his services being needed in the city...
is an ailing veteran FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
agent who has been given a second chance at life by receiving the heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
of a murder victim. Terry is visited by the murder victim's sister, Graciella Rivers, who informs him that he is alive only because of receiving the deceased's heart and asks him to investigate who killed her.
McCaleb defies the advice of his physician, Dr. Bonnie Fox, and sets out to find the killer with the help of his neighbor Buddy Lockridge, who lives on a houseboat near his, and a local police detective, Jaye Winston.
Cast
- Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
as Terry McCaleb - Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as Jasper "Buddy" Noone - Anjelica HustonAnjelica HustonAnjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
as Dr. Bonnie Fox - Wanda De JesúsWanda De JesusWanda De Jesus is a Puerto Rican-American actress. She is most notably recognized for her role as the fourth actress to portray Santana Andrade in NBC's soap opera Santa Barbara...
as Graciella Rivers - Tina Lifford as Detective Jaye Winston
- Paul RodriguezPaul RodríguezPaul Rodriguez is a Mexican-American stand-up comedian and actor.-Personal life:Rodriguez was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México to Mexican agriculture ranchers.. His family migrated to East Los Angeles, where he enlisted in the military; he was stationed in Iceland and Duluth, Minnesota...
as Detective Ronaldo Arrango - Dylan WalshDylan WalshDylan Walsh is an American actor. He is best known as Dr. Sean McNamara in the FX television series Nip/Tuck.-Early life:...
as Detective John Waller - Rick HoffmanRick HoffmanRick Hoffman is an American actor and is best known for his roles as Patrick Van Dorn in Jake in Progress and more recently as Louis Litt in USA Network's legal drama Suits.-Early life:...
as James Lockridge - Alix Koromzay as Mrs. Cordell
- Igor JijikineIgor JijikineIgor Jijikine is a Russian actor working in Los Angeles and Moscow.Over the recent years, Igor has worked with such directors as Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and J. J. Abrams and has appeared in numerous commercial spots for major brands.Igor is also an accomplished sportsman and stage performer...
as Mikhail Bolotov - Dina Ruiz Eastwood as Reporter #1
- Beverly LeechBeverly LeechBeverly Leech is an American actress who is perhaps best-known for her portrayal of Kate Monday on Square One TV's Mathnet....
as Reporter #2
Production
Blood Work was filmed in spring 2002 in both Los Angeles and Long Beach, California in 38 days.Reception
Blood Work received mixed reviews from critics. It has a score of 54% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, with the consensus being that it was "a routine, but competently made thriller marred by lethargic pacing". However, A. O. Scott
A. O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott, known as A. O. Scott , is an American journalist and critic. He is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with Manohla Dargis.-Background and education:...
of New York Times admitted that it was similar to many other of Clint Eastwood's films, thought that "there is something comforting in seeing this old warhorse trot gamely out of the gate for yet another run on familiar turf."
The film was not a box office success, grossing $26.2 million on a budget of $50 million.