Blood Ties Review
RYAN: This movie didn’t get a wide theatrical release but the cast is so phenom that I had to see it so I rented it on iTunes and am so glad I did. In fact, I would have really enjoyed this on the big screen. I wonder why it didn’t get major distribution.
CAROLINE: The trials and tribulations of Hollywood politics, honey. One never knows. But the cast is bananas!! You have my Hollywood husband, Clive Owen, for starters. How is he in this?
RYAN: Great. He really sinks his teeth into this role and folds so well into the tapestry of the story. Each actor is so brilliant and strong in this film that you almost wish each had his or her own spinoff movie. You have Clive, Billy Crudup, Zoe Saldana, Mila Kunis, Marion Cotillard, Lili Taylor, James Caan…
CAROLINE: That’s one powerhouse cast! And it’s in the 70s?
RYAN: Yeah it takes place in 1974 Brooklyn. And it actually looks like it was filmed in the 70s. There’s a graininess to it and not just the period but the story. It’s so gritty and intense – a way less glitzy look at the period than, like, American Hustle.
CAROLINE: Well yes that’s a whole other beast.
RYAN: This is a story of ordinary people going through extraordinary dramatic circumstances. It’s a remake of a French film which I didn’t see but am certainly curious about now. I wonder how it comes across portrayed by actors I’m not as familiar and enamored with. You know how much I love Marion – she conveys so much with just her face. And this is definitely the best pert I’ve ever seen from Zoe.
CAROLINE: I’m definitely curious about this film and love that you liked it so much.
RYAN: Billy and Clive are brothers – one’s a cop, the other a criminal and it’s very interesting how the story unfolds. It’s a bit long and slow in parts but still totally interesting and while it kept going, I was still very interested in all of their lives. And there are really two climaxes in the film, both equally cool.
