Blood Ties: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
Brooklyn, 1970 – Chris (Clive Owen) is released from prison. Reluctantly waiting for him on the outside is his younger brother Frank (Billy Crudup), a cop with an aspiring future. After trying to stay on the straight path without any success, Chris inevitably descends back into a life of crime and puts Frank in a tough predicament. Does he cover for his brother and salvage the only family he has? Or does he do the right thing and risk destroying everything he loves?
This film has a premise that people may have seen before. The usual, two brothers on the opposite sides of the law and each doesn’t know what to do in order to keep being brothers, type of story. The difference between this one and the others I’ve seen in the past is the caliber of the performances of the actors involved. I don’t ever recall seeing Owen in a role such as this one. He was a lost soul that went down the wrong path and could never get back on track. This rough and tumble character suits him well and I kind of like him doing a period piece like this. Crudup on the other hand was the good brother that has this sense of guilt over himself that he plays up so good and intensely. This film really did make me a fan of his for the simple fact that you can just see how conflicted his character is and that really pulled me in to the story. The film basically tells you that can’t pick your family. Each family member has their own way of doing things that you may not agree with and their own destiny but in the end they are still family. I also thought that Marion Cotillard gave a stellar performance as Owen’s drug addicted ex. She always seems to give her all to her roles and we end up witnessing something powerful (except her death scene in The Dark Knight Rises……..It still bothers me). The film also has a great supporting cast with the likes of James Caan, Mila Kunis, Lili Taylor and Zoe Saldana who really give that extra bit of emotion. They tie the brothers’ story together and are an integral part of the story. You may have seen films like this in the past but this one is definitely top notch and you’ll like it a lot if you’re a fan of crime dramas.
Special Features:
Behind the Scenes – With a running time of almost 30 minutes this feature focuses on the making of the film that includes the usual interviews with the cast and crew.
