Blood

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

Rarely does a movie come along that slips under the radar of the movie goers of the world that is as poignant as Blood. I know people have a habit of watching Blockbusters and judging all movies based on the salary of the actors and the budget of the film. Blood is proof, yet again, that a movie doesn't have to be high budget to be beyond great. I very rarely rate movies as most people don't really pay much attention to the actual review that is associated with the rating. The entire cast and crew of this movie were exemplary and deserve the accolades that go along with it. I have a new benchmark to base all crime dramas off of now thanks to this great and powerful movie.

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.

I wasn't as disappointed as others here. It was worth the time spent although it started out well as a psychological thriller and then became a cliché with a whole bunch of drama that lacked believability. The acting more powerful than the script demanded which could equate to a waste of talent. But again I don't see things that way. Fine acting is still fine acting whether the characters would show up in real life or remain frozen on a screen which is right where I leave them the moment the credits appear and I don't feel sad saying goodbye to any of them. No spoilers because I think we can see where it's going pretty early on ... Having found what appears more wrong than right, I wasn't bored and I waited until the very end to feel slightly dissatisfied yet anxious to hear what other viewers have to say. That's a good sign.

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.