Clint Eastwood's Blood Work is his Best Work Since Unforgiven

As a director, Clint Eastwood has lately focused on adapting books for the silver screen, rather than using original screenplays. He has had mixed success with the approach. I enjoyed Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and I gave Eastwood credit for attempting the difficult task of transferring that book onto film. I gave him no such credit for the Bridges of Madison County - I still don’t understand why he decided to make that movie in the first place. True Crime and Absolute Power were well-made movies, but they fell short in the final analysis.

Blood Work, on the other hand, succeeds tremendously. Adapted from author Michael Connolly’s best selling crime novel, it combines a well-written story with Eastwood’s craftsmanship both in front of and behind the camera, creating a thriller that entertains and intrigues. Eastwood likely snatched up the film rights to the book before it was even published (he’s credited as contributing his thoughts to the book in the author’s acknowledgements), and it was a wise decision, as the novel’s twist to an old tale provides the originality needed for a movie that rises above the dreck of the average Hollywood film.

In Blood Work, Terry McCaleb (Eastwood) is a FBI profiler who has solved a number of high profile murders involving serial killers. In the opening scene (shot in one take), McCaleb is investigating the crime scene of the latest work of the Code Killer, who taunts McCaleb with messages and a numbered code. McCaleb spots the killer observing the scene, and gives chase. Although he wounds the Code Killer, he suffers a near-fatal heart attack and the killer gets away.

Fast forward two years, and McCaleb is still recovering from a heart transplant operation just two months prior. He has been forced to retire at the height of his career due to the bad heart and the stress that the job would put on his new one. Living on a houseboat, he has an aging boat bum for a neighbor (Jeff Daniels), who keeps an eye out for the desperate people who come to McCaleb for help in solving their loved one’s murder. The latest is Graciela Rivers (Wanda De Jesus), whose sister was killed in a convenience store hold-up two months ago. McCaleb politely begs off, telling her he doesn’t do that kind of work anymore. Graciela then plays her trump card – McCaleb’s new heart is her sister’s. Already faced with doubts as to whether he deserved a second chance, McCaleb begins to investigate the sister’s murder, feeling that he owes something to the person who died to give him life.

Eastwood, of course, turns in the solid performance that one expects from a Hollywood legend. Having played so many cops and investigators over the years, he fits easily into the role of the retired FBI agent. His performance is more than that, however. He has little touches here and there that flesh out the character. Throughout the movie, McCaleb brings his hand up to, but not quite touching, his chest, conveying his character’s emotional and physical pain from his transplant. Eastwood’s work behind the camera is excellent as well. From the opening shot from high above the crime scene (with his trademark jazz playing) to the efficient storytelling, his directing, while never the tour de force of a Kubrick or Coppola, is more than merely competent, it’s superior. Eastwood’s directing has always been overshadowed by his star career as an actor, and even his Oscar for Unforgiven seemed more like a lifetime achievement award than a recognition of greatness. He has, however, developed a skill level rarely seen in actors turned director. Perhaps it’s because directing is not a passing fling for his ego – this is Eastwood’s 22nd turn at the director’s chair, and he knows how to tell a story that keeps an audience interested without relying on action and quick cuts to maintain the pace.

Eastwood is also smart enough (and has enough clout) to pick a strong supporting cast. Wanda De Jesus has her highest profile role to date, and takes full advantage of it. Her portrayal of Graciela is strong, without any of the stereotypes of Latina women. Jeff Daniels plays the boat bum role like it’s his everyday job, and he provides entertainment when McCaleb presses him into service to help him investigate. Paul Rodriquez chews a little scenery with his portrayal of the disrespectful LAPD detective who hasn’t made any progress on the murder, but doesn’t want McCaleb’s help anyway. Anjelica Huston, as McCaleb’s doctor who is none too pleased to see her transplant patient chasing after murderers, isn’t on screen a lot, but when she is, she makes her presence felt.

The movie does have its flaws. At 72, you wonder when Eastwood is going to start dropping the romance storylines from his movies – this one didn’t need it. The ending is a bit Hollywood, and doesn’t mesh as well as the rest of the film. The climax has a very nice touch to it, however, and neither of these faults detracts enough to make more than a passing complaint. Overall, this is Eastwood’s best film since Unforgiven - a smart, original thriller with a great cast and a good story. While not the type of stunner like The Sixth Sense, Blood Work stays one step ahead most of the way. There’s even something for the Dirty Harry fans, as Eastwood gets in a little shotgun work. It’s going to have to fight for an audience with Signs in theatres at the same time, but hopefully it won’t be plowed under, as Blood Work deserves a couple hours of your time far more than Austin Powers 3.