Blood Ties DVD Review

Director: Guillaume Canet

Stars: Clive Owen, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana

Running Time:  127 Minutes

Based on the 2008 French film RIVALS, director Guillaume Canet recreates the familial drama in 1970s Brooklyn. With a knockout cast and New York setting BLOOD TIES was a promising venture, but had much to prove to admirers of the original.

RIVALS prevailed in depicting a gritty crime drama that could easily be mistaken for a rediscovered 70s movie. Canet, who starred in the original, provides an unsuccessful remake. There was an expectation for more, especially with a winning cast. Unfortunately BLOOD TIES is a bland revision that opts for familiar formulaic clichés.

The film details the lives of two brothers, Chris (Clive Owen) and Frank (Billy Crudup). Fifty-year-old Chris has just been released from prison and younger brother Frank, a cop, reluctantly waits for him outside the gates. Frank, hopes that his brother has changed, and is willing to give him a chance. He shares his home, finds him a job, and helps him reconnect with his children and his ex-wife, Monica (Marion Cotillard). But Chris inevitably falls back into old habits. After his brother’s latest transgressions, Frank banishes him from his life. But it’s already too late, as the brothers’ fate is bound together, forever.

The film’s pace is ridiculously slow with no focus on effective story development, patience is definitely required! Lingering reaction shots are favoured, but do nothing to entice a connection with the characters. The characters are bland and fail to excite, which is surprising looking at the list of talent. The performances are average; it’s hard to identify a standout star when you’re left wanting more.

The whole thing was a culmination of dissatisfaction, from the confused character relationships to the unnecessarily long setup. The film succeeds in offering a visual appeal of the era through set pieces and locations, there’s even a good soundtrack attached. However, the film prioritises aesthetic, which while is an appreciative quality doesn’t distract from a story lacking any real depth. The film is built on character development, but the film drifts off into various unnecessary threads.

BLOOD TIES offered so much potential, a winning cast and spirited 1970s detail. However, the film struggles to deliver and results in disappointment. Too much of the film is spent setting up too many character threads, some seeming unnecessary and overindulged. The film is very much cut and paste, struggling to tear away from generic clichés making for predictable viewing that lacks the impact it intends. BLOOD TIES is watchable, but doesn’t demand repeat viewings. A two star rating is rather generous!

[usr=2] BLOOD TIES is out on DVD now.