He's piercing in every moment, Crudup slowly deconstructed by the intensity as his Frank battles to stay afloat. Owen has his crazy eyes down, flashing from sentimental romantic to the guy who will stick a six-shooter in your mouth if it means pulling off a job. The subtle spectacle pops.įans wondering why Crudup and Owen continue to be underused in major Hollywood films should take enjoyment in watching the two spar. It probably costs a buttload to rent out Grand Central Station and fill it with leather-clad, bell-bottomed extras, but the folks behind Blood Ties did it. Likewise for the film's vehicular crescendo, that utilizes real New York locations to maximum effect. A bank heist turned shootout is visceral and well-coordinated, mustachioed policemen shotgunning their way through rusty old Cadillacs. But when each scene feels like an ornament on a Christmas tree rather than the string of lights, the instant aesthetic satisfaction quickly looses its appeal.Įven if Blood Ties' timid drama is caked in a high-gloss version of Serpico grit, the moments where it coalesces validate the adaptation. Yes, Sadana's weeping will cripple any man, even a hard-nosed cop like Crudup. Yes, it's great to see budding prostitute Cotillard smackdown Owen with accented expletives. Without a propulsive resolution, Blood Ties tiptoes to whatever star match-up should follow. At one point, the brothers grapple on the floor of Thanksgiving dinner, broken up by their elderly father (Caan). The script, cowritten by James Grey (We Own the Night) escalates on paper, but rarely in execution. Each time Chris and Frank butt heads feels more like a repetitive fiery dialogue than a stake-raising standoff. Even when Chris is embarking down a dark path or Frank gasps for breath under the pressure of his dueling family and occupation, the dramatic thrust is deemphasized by rudimentary staging. Before too long, he's knee deep in contract hits and bank heists once again.Ĭanet, an actor-turned-director who previously starred in the French version of Blood Ties (itself based on the novel Deux Freres: Flic & Truand) wanders through his prickly version of '70s New York without much interference. Not even a blossoming romance with a coworker (Mila Kunis) can keep Chris on the right side of the law.
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But Frank can't help but scold Chris, whose hot temper quickly dissolves work opportunities and nudges him back into the crime world. And it's not all on Chris, who returns to the world hoping to go straight.įrank is a Brooklyn cop one step away from disaster he recently arrested the husband of on-again/off-again flame Vanessa (Saldana) on a shady arms charge - and now he's romancing her. Down deep they know he's a good man, but how long would it be before he turned back to the life of crime that put him in jail in the first place? Even when they pick up Chris at the penitentiary, moral comprise is wafting through the air. For Frank (Crudup) and sister Marie (Lili Taylor), the release of their brother Chris (Owen) is bittersweet.