BLOOD WORK

US, 2002, 110 minutes, Colour.
Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Wanda de Jesus, Tina Lifford, Paul Rodriguez, Dylan Walsh, Anjelica Huston.
Directed by Clint Eastwood.

Blood Work starts the way you expect: detective Clint pursues a serial killer who is enjoying the media coverage given to the cat and mouse games of murder and detection. This relationship of sorts surprisingly becomes the key to the resolution of the murder mystery. Clint does a lot of running in those early minutes of the film and I, for one, wanted to call out to get him to slow down, to stop, to think about his heart giving out. Well, that was what Clint wanted us to feel. He does have a heart attack. Then he undergoes a heart transplant - which is the other main element for solving the murder mystery.

Clint Eastwood experiencing a new heart? And, his new heart is that of a 30 year old Mexican woman, mother of a young son. Blood Work does show us the old Clint but it also shows us the new. No need to say any longer, 'Have a heart..'. He has one. He has to accept and not reject (physically or emotionally) something of the personality of the donor. The enjoyment of the movie is watching Clint take on a case for personalised reasons (the murder of the donor, the dramatic appeal of the donor's sister, the little boy for whom he becomes surrogate father - and/or grandfather).

One of the pleasing features of Blood Work is how often Clint Eastwood smiles. Of course, he has plenty to be grim about with the murders and the final confrontation with the villain - where he clearly approves of capital punishment and is not hesitant to act as executioner. But, his new lease of life with his new heart, the concern he shows to many of the characters that he would not have in past movies, the putting himself out for humane reasons, even the wish-fulfilment-rather-than-reality falling in love, make him a much more sympathetic character than usual.

Clint Eastwood does not hide his age in his movies. Now he is showing us his attempts to integrate his opposites into a more rounded personality.

For readers of the novel by Michael Connolly, there is a major change as two characters are combined, one Terry’s Buddy and the other is the murderer. A bit of a shock. However, readers of Connolly’s The Narrows where Terry Mc Caleb is murdered, Buddy reappears and makes some complaints about the way he was treated in the movie. Reference is also made to Clint’s age and Graciela is not exactly happy about being made a waitress instead of a nurse. However, Connolly is also realistic and has Harry Bosch ask Buddy whether he was paid for the movie – and tells him that he can be satisfied with that.

1. Clint Eastwood and his career? At age seventy? The tradition of police investigation thrillers, his showing his age, the theme of getting his new heart, being more humane?

2. The Los Angeles settings, the police work, the crime scenes, the banks, the supermarkets? The boat and the marina? The desert? The Long Beach setting, the boats and the hulk in the bay? The musical score and the jazz tone?

3. The title, blood, tests, blood donors, blood types, health - and blood in crimes? Footprints in blood?

4. The blood donor theme, organ donors, the vulnerability of those who give their organs?

5. The introduction, the killer, the code? The serial killer? Publicity and defiance of the police, of Terry Mc Caleb? Arengo and his assistant, the local police? The clash with Mc Caleb? His FBI background, skills, detections, tensions amongst the investigators? Mc Caleb and the television, the publicity? The footprints, seeing the sneakers, his pursuit of the criminal, the energy, his heart condition, pretending to be sick, shooting the killer, collapsing? The setting for Mc Caleb, for the intricacies of the plot complications?

6. The passing of two years, Dr Fox and the information to Terry, her examinations, the operation, her no-nonsense attitude, the significance of the bypass, his recuperation period, the possibility of rejecting the heart? His seeing the little boy waiting for the heart and his father? Feelings of guilt? The doctor telling him to live life?

7. On his boat, the marina, the friendship with Buddy, the easygoing atmosphere? Graciela coming, her severity, showing him the photo, the information about Gloria and Raymond, the heart donor? His motivations for going into the investigation?

8. His experience of coming alive, becoming more humane? The adrenalin for the investigation? Buddy and his energising him, taunting him with it later? His new heart, a Mexican mother?

9. Going to Arengo, the doughnuts gift, the information about the killings, the two killings, his profiling work, watching the videos? Information about the guns, tracking down the factory through the lists of stolen guns, interview with the owner, with the worker, the worker attacking him, running, later turning up dead?

10. The importance of the videos and the portrayal of the killings, the detail, the premeditation - and Graciela arriving and seeing the video, his turning it off? The murder book, the help of Jaye Winston? Seeing the killer, the balaclava, his speaking, the good samaritan coming in? the importance of the time information?

11. The steps in the investigation and Terry's ability? The interview of the witness, his anxiety that it might have been him? Police suspicion, his not being at work, going to his house, the dead woman, finding him dead with the bullet in his mouth? Terry going to visit the widow in the desert, the information about Gloria's earring, the sunglasses - and his realising that he had seen the killer wearing these at the bank outlet?

12. Buddy, easygoing attitude, on the marina, drinking? Terry offering him pay for driving, his wanting to be a partner, watching, upset at the death? His friendship with Graciela and Raymond, helping them fish? Being paid in beer? At the scenes of the crime, with the police? The cheque payment, Jasper as his name, Jasper Noone? The final care of Graciela and Raymond, abducting them, hiding them in the hulk? Raymond and his indication of the code - no ones, "no-one", "Noone"? The build-up to the confrontation when Terry realised it by looking at the cheque?

13. The information about Gloria being a donor, the sign in the other victim's car? The importance of the video times, the 911 call, the replay, identifying the good samaritan as the killer? The happy Valentine's Day wish? Dr Fox, her reaction to Terry's investigating, reaction to Graciela, his persuading her to look in the computer for the link on the blood types? Her demand that she give him more tests and blood work?

14. The realisation that he had been kept alive by the killer, Cordell and the mistake of the ambulance going past and the useless heart? There for Gloria? The good samaritan call, keeping the heart ready until the ambulance came? His disappearance after the spree, the reappearance as a murderer when Terry was back with the new heart?

15. The confrontation with Buddy, Buddy's explanations, going to the hulk, releasing Graciela and Raymond, the chase, the boat, Buddy shooting from the front of the boat, the crash, Terry shooting him, Graciela drowning him?

16. The portrait of the police, the police chief listening to the extravagant hypothesis and giving support, Jaye Winston, her work, debts to Terry, her giving him the information? His concern about her loneliness? Arengo and his partner, wanting to close the case, envious of headlines, his pushing them in the water? Arengo's comment about his having a Mexican heart?

17. The insights into the criminal mind and the cruel games? The plausibility - Jeff Daniels' build in the initial chase, standing behind Terry, the different build in the video with the killer and the good samaritan? The voice on the 911 report?

18. Clint Eastwood's portrait of Terry, experience and age, a loner, his skills, the change of heart? Graciela and the sexual relationship? His care of Raymond? The end with the literal sailing into the sunset?