Blood Work

Clint Eastwood's direction sadly loses its way late in this otherwise suspenseful drama from the co-writer of "L.A. Confidential" (Brian Helgeland). Eastwood is a famous detective, but a massive heart attack just as he is about to catch a crazed serial killer forces him to an early retirement. Fast-forward a bit and Eastwood has received a new heart from a woman who has recently passed away. Slowly, but surely Eastwood's body is accepting the new organ and it appears that a healthy recovery is imminent. Things change though as a Hispanic woman (Wanda De Jesus) pays Eastwood a visit one day and explains that his new heart come from her younger sister, a woman who was killed in a convenient store. Quickly it becomes crystal clear that the killer in the store is in fact the same man who eluded Eastwood earlier. Now Eastwood is back one last time with a score to settle. Through Eastwood's journey he has to indulge a pesky neighbor (Jeff Daniels) who wants to assist in the case, dodge cops Paul Rodriguez and Dylan Walsh and convince doctor Anjelica Huston that he owes De Jesus his time and help. "Blood Work" does do well for the majority of its running time, but the punchline comes way too fast and the finale is unsatisfying to say the least. Eastwood is pretty good as usual and Daniels is excellent in a comical supporting turn. Everyone else though ends up struggling to keep their intensity up as the production progresses. The "Hardy Boys" routine and the unnecessary blossoming romance between Eastwood and De Jesus make "Blood Work" play more like a television movie of the week than a theatrical release. With all this said, "Blood Work" does do enough good things to keep the audience watching and intrigued---most of the time anyway. 4 stars out of 5.