Blood

Blood deserves better than other reviewers have suggested. It is a small movie yes but it is intense and filled with first-rate performances from an excellent cast. Bettany especially is on great form, but then he usually is, as a man falling apart. You believe these characters, understand their motivations and emotions, even as you watch them get closer to the edge.

We may have seen many of the cast in bigger productions but there is no sense that they are slumming it and even the smaller roles are played in an incredibly realistic way. It reminded me of some of the best noir movies in the way the plot is driven by the characters' reactions to one fateful action and the way the claustrophobia mounts as they struggle to come to terms with what has happened. Recommended.

For a film with such quality actors and a name brand director in the form of Sam Mendes as producer it's hard to gage just why Blood was released with such little fanfare but then again upon watching of the film it's hard to promote it as a must see when in reality it's a film that whilst having good central performances is just too generic to fully buy into.

Adapted from the British mini series titled Conviction, Blood has a plot that is all too familiar for anyone who has but a passing interest in the family/crime genre of movies. In the role of brothers and cops the film has its strongest points with Paul Bettany in a rare leading role and Stephan Graham in another top supporting turn doing well with their respective characters Joe and Chrissie. It's always good to see Bettany on screen and for an actor that chooses a wide range of shoddy roles it's a welcome return here to see him display a range of emotions. Stephan Graham in my opinion one of the most talented and watchable actors working today with his work on HBO's Boardwalk Empire and roles in feature films such as This is England showcasing his startling talents and again here comes away with the films best moments in a film that needed more of them.

One of Blood's major problems is in its setting up of the story and subsequent lack of feelings after it due to a rushed and frankly over the top scenario that would of worked better if the film spent more time establishing the bond between the brothers, there iffy relationship with fellow cop Robert (thank goodness Strong is not a bad guy!) and the trials they are experiencing with their ex-cop dad Lenny (Cox). It all plays along nicely enough but you never get the sense your witnessing anything feature film worthy thanks to Murphy's bland direction and dull set ups.

If you're a fan of Bettany and Graham Blood is a film worthy of your time to see the fine actors ply their trade side by side but for anyone else Blood is nothing more than a sadly predictable and safe movie that really should have been a lot more memorable.

2 and a half bacon sandwiches out of 5

Great cast, promising story - but ultimately disappointing.

It did not surprise me to learn that this film was based on a TV series. Over much of the running time I found myself distracted by just how busy the story was. It was one plot point after another, after another, with no space in-between to let the characters (or audience) absorb each of the many developments before proceeding - or to establish a strong sense of mood or location. It seemed as though the makers had condensed into a feature film length a story that was intended to be told over a much longer duration - as though an emotionally balanced story had been harshly edited, leaving just a collection of 'flashpoints.'

With a cast and story this good, Blood could have achieved something as atmospheric and dramatic as Mystic River. Unfortunately though, it felt like one of those British TV crime dramas in which they have to introduce characters, portray a crime, investigate the crime (uncovering a series of disturbing family secrets and dispensing with a couple of red herrings in the process) and arrive at a harrowing (but ultimately just) conclusion, all within the span of a single episode.

An enjoyable, but not especially memorable, film.

"What have you done??! What have you done ??!" After a young girl is brutally murdered it is up to a family on the police force to catch the murderer. After all the clues point to one man two brothers go out and find him and bring him in for questioning. After it turns out there isn't enough evidence for trial they push for a confession. When the interrogation goes to far the family is now forced to investigate the crime they committed. This was an interesting idea for a movie and I am usually a fan of the British crime genre so I was looking forward to seeing this. I was not disappointed at all. The movie was a little slow at times but overall it kept me interested and I really liked the character arcs and watching all of them change for better or worse. The cast and acting is great and the movie is tense and entertaining. Fans of this genre will really enjoy this, I know I did. Overall, very much worth seeing and keeps you feeling tense and your not really sure who to root for the entire movie. I give it a B.

BLOOD as written by Bill Gallagher and directed by Nick Murphy is a dark psychological drama set in Hilbre Island, Wirral, Merseyside, England: the setting is almost as important as the story. Unlike other thriller dramas based on good cop/bad cop concepts, this story is about a family of policemen and how they deal with crime and the ramifications of their actions as preservers of justice. It probes deeply into the crisis of a small family and manages to keep a tight grip on the audience's attention throughout.

Joe Fairburn (Paul Bettany) and his younger brother Chrissie Fairburn (Stephen Graham) are the sons of retired policeman Lenny Fairburn (Brian Cox) who despite his advancing senility still comes around the police station to relive the old days. The brothers are investigating the brutal murder of a young girl found bludgeoned on the streets. The chief suspect is one Jason Buleigh (Ben Crompton) who despite a criminal record seems to be covering his old life with a religious one, a turn that pleases his supportive mother (Sandra Voe). But mounting evidence of finding Jason's photographs of young girls in his room convinces Joe and Chrissie that Jason is guilty despite the fact that their fellow policeman Robert Seymour (Mark Strong) doesn't feel the evidence is strong enough to keep Jason arrested. The brothers take the law into their own hands and in an attempt to get a confession from Jason, Joe has him dig a hole in the beach sand, and in a terrifying moment Jason (in the process of being buried) confesses and Joe's mind goes berserk and he kills Jason with a shovel. From this point on the brothers begin meltdown: they bury the body and destroy all evidence, Chrissie's girlfriend Jemma (Zoë Tapper) finally hears the truth, the true killer of the murdered girl are found and arrested, Joe is discovered to be the killer of Jason, and the once tight family disintegrates - plunging into tragedy.

The plot line is tangled at times by subplots that don't develop but in fact that leads to the sense of mental confusion both brothers carry, having committed a crime as cops, burying the evidence only to attempt to distract the truth of the deed that leads to failures. Bettany, Graham and Cox are strong in their roles as is Mark Strong in the rather small role he is given. This is a dark film, well acted, with an interesting turn in the tales of how cops face their own actions.

Grady Harp