Blood Ties
Two brothers, on either side of the law, face off over organized crime in Brooklyn during the 1970s. An ex-con tries to pull away from a life of crime, but the temptation proves too strong, bringing his already-strained relationship with his policeman brother to the breaking point.
20 February 1967, Glencoe, Illinois, USA
16 February 1968, Englewood, New Jersey, USA
14 February 1981, Yalta, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Crimea, Ukraine]
14 August 1997, Brooklyn, New York, USA
8 July 1968, Manhasset, New York, USA
2 November 1986, Stockholm, Sweden
8 December 1977, Antwerp, Belgium
9 January 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
25 March 1976, Bronx, New York, USA
9 January 2007, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
13 November 1996
26 March 1940, The Bronx, New York, USA
August 21, 2014
While the story centres on twisted moral dilemmas, this 1970s-set thriller takes such a hesitant, internalised approach that if never lets viewers under the characters' skin.
March 27, 2014
Seems to be the continuation of a narrative that only exists in its characters' heads.
March 21, 2014
An ambitious, if disappointing, period crime drama featuring Clive Owen and Billy Crudup as warring brothers on opposite sides of the law.
August 16, 2014
The film is too sprawling and unfocused to deliver real emotional clout, but there are are some gripping stand-offs along the way.
June 27, 2016
Canet delivers a character-centered thriller that doesn't break so much as an inch of new ground.
August 13, 2014
If you hear an unearthly sound during Blood Ties, it might be Sidney Lumet's ghost attempting to contact his lawyer.
March 21, 2014
I share Canet's affection for Sidney Lumet films full of scraggly sideburns and big brown Fleetwoods the size of the QE2. But if you really appreciated those movies, you'd use your memories of them to jumpstart something new.
August 29, 2014
Everything is in place to have created a truly sensational piece of cinema, and yet you can't help feeling somewhat cold towards this film, despite the memorable, impactful finale.
August 15, 2014
It starts out feeling like too many stars in search of a story, but Owen excels as a charismatic brute, and the tautly handled set pieces drag you back in for a solid payoff.
March 21, 2014
The performers carry on - Owen is particularly good - but this bird doesn't fly.
August 15, 2014
In its lesser moments, the film is overwrought and derivative but, at its best, it has a real flavour of Friedkin, Coppola and Scorsese.
March 21, 2014
If you're an ardent admirer of pretty much anyone in the cast (OK, except Emmerich), you'll find something worthwhile here.
