THE PLOT THUS FAR
Two brothers, on either side of the law, face off over organized crime in Brooklyn during the 1970
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Blood Ties” plays like James Gray finally get to write an episode of “Starsky & Hutch”. However, there’s no grain or any of the personality that used to appear in 70s crime fare. As a result, you have a cast of wasted talent doing their best Serpico cosplay. I appreciate so much of what is taking place here, but everything feels like squandered direction and unmetered focus. Still, it’s an interesting failure and one that kept me glued to the screen. But, what made it not click when so much was going right?
Clive Owen and Billy Crudup play off each other with great panache. However, they felt like cliches when they interacted with the rest of the cast. James Caan continued to keep milking the same role he’s been trying to hold down since the 1970s. I’m not that familiar with Canet, so I’m not sure if this is just a quick foul-up for him. What kicks my ass is the fact that so much of the movie feels right and seems like it should work as a result. The cast seems to have believed in the project and everyone gives it their all. It’s just what happens, when you’re left with a story so cliche that you can almost see trace echoes of those better films? I won’t say that I’m disappointed, but I won’t say that it’s a film that I might change on in the future.
The Blu-Ray comes with a Digital HD copy and featurette as the special features. The A/V Quality is pretty sharp for a quiet cop film. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio does come into play in the scenes that need it. Ultimately, it’s a pretty sharp presentation. I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 06/24/2014