I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Best movie ever!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

BLOOD TIES is French director Guillaume Canet's remake of his own French film RIVALS, charting the stormy relationship between two brothers in the 1970s. One of them is a violent career criminal fresh out of prison, the other a hard-working and virtuous cop determined to do the right thing. Their contrasting professions mean they're on a collision course and yes, there will be blood.This isn't an intrinsically bad film. Certainly it has all of the elements to make for good cinema: a gritty realism, some strong performances from an ensemble cast, and perfect attention to detail in bringing the sleazy 1970s to life. The problem I have with it is that it just feels passe and all-too-familiar. The camera-work is sombre and the film has a downbeat atmosphere, but this has all been done time and time again and it makes the movie look clichéd. I want to see bright and vibrant films shot in original ways, not boring styles like the one on offer here.Clive Owen is very good, cast against type as a ruthless thug and shining in the part - he's scary. Billy Crudup, who rarely gets much of an opportunity in cinema, gives the best performance as his sympathetic brother. Marion Cotillard doesn't do much other than annoy the viewer a bit, although old timer James Caan is always a welcome presence. Mila Kunis and Zoe Saldana don't have much to do which is all for the better. There are some intense action scenes which are fairly shocking, although the film is spoilt by an all-too-familiar air of predictability which means you know exactly how it's going to play out.

Blood Ties sets the standard as a film taken place during the 1970's. The basics, Chris (Clive Owen) is just out of the joint, trying to go straight and essentially do right by his cop brother Frank (Billy Crudup), but he's got a messy past to deal with, including making amends with Monica (Marion Cotillard), a prostitute and mother to his children. Meanwhile, Chris falls into a relationship with Natalie (Mila Kunis), a girl he meets during a stint working at a garage. Frank tries desperately to vouch for his brother to his cop pals, who suspect he's going fall back into the life of crime, while he enters a romance with Vanessa (Zoe Saldana), an ex-girlfriend whose boyfriend Scarfo (Matthias Schoenaerts) he recently busted and sent to jail. Blood Ties does take quite a while to make an impression but the does get interesting in it's final 40 minutes or so. It may be a slow film, but the characters and acting performances from the cast make up for its redundant plots, and lack of plot holes.

Blood Ties (2013)Despite the strangely French roots to this movie (director, writer, production company), this is a deeply American story with many traditional, almost overworn crime and cop/robber aspects. It works overall—it's not a bad film. It's gritty and well acted, and it plays with the clichés in an honest enough way to keep them alive and compelling.Clive Owen has the biggest role, playing a con just getting out of jail. His father (James Caan) just had lung surgery and is apparently not in good health. And his brother (Billy Cudrup) offers to give him a place to live. This brother also happens to be a cop, and if there is something an ex-con learns to hate more than anything it is cops.So the story is ostensibly about the two brothers and their conflict, and about some childhood incident where the cop brother betrayed the criminal brother. It's not like this led the one to crime, but more that the cop has always been afraid of doing wrong, and maybe afraid of standing up for his brother when the chips are down.In a way this is the key to the movie—at what point do you do the right thing for society and turn in your very bad brother, your own flesh and blood? Some would say never. I'm not so sure. (The uni-bomber was finally revealed by his brother, and it probably saved some innocent lives.) But it comes down to that very deep honor, about doing right in some lofty sense, not just the letter of the law.And this is the best part of the movie. The crime and violence part of things, with all the usual taunts and gun battles and hiding out, is all well and good, but it's pretty common stuff. The interactions between the two leading men is what makes the movie stand apart, and is why you should watch it. It takes on a less mythic quality than, say, "The Godfather," which of course is also about being true to family above all else (usually). And that's good, too, the grit and realism make even the outrageous and dramatic final scene believable.

At first I had doubts about this movie, the story took a long to time to build its self up, but goddamn was the wait worth it.Great performance from Clive Owen, great character development, great side characters and great story pacing. This movie is very relatable as I myself have a brother with who I always fight and yet at the end of the day we would take a bullet for each other. Blood Ties will keep you wanting to find out what will happen next throughout the movie and after all that is what we want from a Drama/Thriller.Gem of a movie 8/10.