Excellent adaptation.

An absolute waste of money

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

For a film with such quality actors and a name brand director in the form of Sam Mendes as producer it's hard to gage just why Blood was released with such little fanfare but then again upon watching of the film it's hard to promote it as a must see when in reality it's a film that whilst having good central performances is just too generic to fully buy into.Adapted from the British mini series titled Conviction, Blood has a plot that is all too familiar for anyone who has but a passing interest in the family/crime genre of movies. In the role of brothers and cops the film has its strongest points with Paul Bettany in a rare leading role and Stephan Graham in another top supporting turn doing well with their respective characters Joe and Chrissie. It's always good to see Bettany on screen and for an actor that chooses a wide range of shoddy roles it's a welcome return here to see him display a range of emotions. Stephan Graham in my opinion one of the most talented and watchable actors working today with his work on HBO's Boardwalk Empire and roles in feature films such as This is England showcasing his startling talents and again here comes away with the films best moments in a film that needed more of them.One of Blood's major problems is in its setting up of the story and subsequent lack of feelings after it due to a rushed and frankly over the top scenario that would of worked better if the film spent more time establishing the bond between the brothers, there iffy relationship with fellow cop Robert (thank goodness Strong is not a bad guy!) and the trials they are experiencing with their ex-cop dad Lenny (Cox). It all plays along nicely enough but you never get the sense your witnessing anything feature film worthy thanks to Murphy's bland direction and dull set ups.If you're a fan of Bettany and Graham Blood is a film worthy of your time to see the fine actors ply their trade side by side but for anyone else Blood is nothing more than a sadly predictable and safe movie that really should have been a lot more memorable.2 and a half bacon sandwiches out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

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

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. **

The movie is pegged as a thriller but I prefer calling it a psychological drama with thriller features. As the storyline would have you think, the premise lends itself to a variety of ways it could have gone, however the best one was the psychological thriller and that is what most viewers would like hope to see when selecting this movie.I recognize the film did not go over so well with critics and they are entitled to their say; well they're paid for it anyway. Sadly, the audience also did not trip to the overall production and I, well I'm usually easy going, am on the fence with that one. Cops, brothers to boot, investigating a crime they themselves have committed entails possible clichés we are likely not thrilled to watch, but director Nick Murphy (and Bill Gallagher the writer) have managed to avoid those to my satisfaction. I'm a fan of Mark Strong and though he delivered a solid performance, his character did not really have a major part, not as much as I was hoping for. Brian Cox, who played the retired cop and father to the brothers, was excellent in his role, as anyone familiar with him would expect.The movie starts off with a crime scene and introduces us to Joe and Chrissie Fairburn, played respectively by Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham, the brothers. We get a glimpse of the intense personality of Bettany's character at that moment. The movie will then progressively and methodically immerse us in Joe Faiburn's hell, the demons he struggles with and despite that he is what one could call a good guy, the journey into his unravelling. On that basis, I would have felt stronger about endorsing the movie, but alas, I cannot; not that Bettany does not perform his little heart out, and he is an actor who can deliver such, but I know more viewers may well be disappointed with the direction the story goes and ends, so I won't.I chose to watch this movie because I was curious to see what sort of actor Stephen Graham was; I knew him solely from his role as Al Capone in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. I was impressed by his performances in the series and now that I've seen him in a motion picture, I will consider any future film in which he'll be playing more than a third casted role.