OJT The brothers Chris and Joe are policemen working together. A family tradition. Their old Dad was also a detective, now suffering from the first signs of Alzheimer's decease. They get frustrated when they can't get a former child abuser convicted for murdering a 12 year old girl, even if they find her necklace and some pictures of her in his apartment. They start off with untraditional methods to get him to confess. This is the start of this British crime thriller, which follows in the great tradition of this kind from the isles. The start is bleak, but takes on a strong turn, which grabs your interest intensively.A strong cast, with Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham leading on, with great Brian Cox as the father, and Mark Strong as a colleague, and Ben Crompton as the pedophile. Strong performances all over, also from the kids. Bettany is great when he gets this haunted look.The film is suspenseful and atmospheric, though filmed in bleach colors, making in just the more real looking. Recommended!

That Guy 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.

davideo-2 STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday MorningA young girl is found murdered in an English coastal town, and the pressure's on for detective brothers Joe (Paul Bettany) and Chrissie (Stephen Graham) to find the killer. When the prime suspect walks free, Joe and Chrissie abduct him and try to force a confession out of him, in the style of their old school, domineering father Lenny (Brian Cox) in his day, only for things to go wrong. Now, they find themselves trapped in a ticking time bomb, as the net closes in on them, with the diligent Detective Seymour (Mark Strong) putting the pieces together.Adapted from a TV series called Confession, this noticeably small scale production would have the production values to match it's source material. In spite of this, there some undeniably top rate, modern talent at work here that had the potential to really shine if their ability really matched what they were given to work with. Sadly, rather than keep you really riveted with what's going on and how it's going to turn out, Blood simply chugs along in a perfunctory manner, never having the bite or the spark to make the most of what it is. It's biggest mistake is probably killing off the mystery element, and instead of leaving you to guess whether the brothers really did it, puts you in on the act from the beginning Columbo style.As stated, this thoroughly low key piece has a top name cast to it, the kind that never abandoned artistic integrity for cheap selling out, and they still invest their all in it, with strong turns from Bettany and an explosive Graham, even if his cockney accent is over-powered (as in every other such role he's played) at times by his strong scouse brogue. Even in a supporting role, Cox still possesses a presence and intensity that allows him to shine through. Sadly, none of their superior thesping can save this hollow and undelivering piece. **

Lt. Vincent Hanna 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.