Blood and Wine (1997)

Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson supported each others careers in the 70s with movies like 'The king of Marvin gardens' and 'Five easy pieces'. 'Blood and wine' was the third part in the trilogy. Rafelson's movies were very unique in their own way with Nicholson. His movies were very highly focused on relationships and this formed the core in every movie. In 'Blood and wine' Nicholson is playing the father and son and again delivers another fantastic performance. Regardless of the role, Nicholson is always in top form and most times has the ability carry the movie independently. The noir atmosphere is not continuously present in the movie. The theme of betrayal, greed and loyalty is common to all in this genre and the movie covers this field on a large scale. The only noir factor that missing is the femme fa tale element. However this does not take away any charm from the movie. Many intriguing and suspenseful moments are directed in a unique way that makes the movie's routine theme appear eye capturing. In the initial phase of the movie one would immediately assume that this is a heist movie. However the second half dispels all doubts.The basic theme revolves around the theft of a expensive diamond necklace and how bitter relations leads the characters in to a game of cat and mouse. The character interactions in the second half progresses the movie steadily and there is never a irrelevant segment. In terms of plot, the writer (Nick Viltues) has accomplished some good writing but many criticised the movie for it's lack of character depth and even for it's climax. In my opinion only on a re watch the movie's real quality can be appreciated. If one views the movie with concentration and focus, he/she will realise that the u.s.p of the movie is in the performances and dialogues. 'Blood and wine' is not a classic but truly a milestone for introducing the noir genre in to the nineties. Later movies like 'U Turn' and 'Lost Highway' followed.SPOILERS AHEAD Nicholson plays a wine merchant who is having a bitter relationship with his wife (Davis) and son (Dorff). His neglecting attitude has created a rift in relations in the household. He and Caine who plays a ageing safe-cracker on parole plan to steal a expensive necklace from the a rich family's residence while they are on vacation. They aim to achieve to do this with the help of a maid played by (Lopez). On the day they plan to steal they discover the maid has lost her job, however with a little inconvenience the pair still manage to get their hands on the necklace. Nicholson plans to travel to New York to sale it for a good price. He books a flight with Lopez who he is having an affair with. Unfortunately his wife discovers this which leads to a brawl and Nicholson becomes unconscious. Dorff arrives on the scene and him and his mother escape. Later Nicholson awakes and finds out that they took the suitcase that the necklace was hidden in. Him and Caine try to locate the mother and son but a high speed pursuit turns nasty which leads to the death of Dorff's mother. After this Dorff decides to get revenge with genius methods. He pits Caine against Nicholson and attempts to lure Nicholson with the necklace with the aid of Lopez. END OF SPOILERSFor a small thriller the movie extracts brilliant performances from all involved. This element is the core of the movie and brings out life from a routine script. Plot twists are at a minimum however this does not deters ones' enjoyment from the movie. Every clever surprising plot development that occurs happens to the viewer's attention. Bob Rafelson's direction is standard and is in tone with the movies theme. Many close up shots of the character's faces are mesmerising. It captures feelings and emotions very realistically. Florida has become a common setting for movies of this nature. Body Heat, Palmetto and Wild things too used this location. This is another highlight for the movie but many scenes are shot indoors so outdoor scenery is restricted to a certain extent. The background score is very thin. It is not used at every point. Music is incorporated at moments when it can feel most effective with the scene. This was the first time pairing of Micheal Caine and Jack Nicholson. They are legends in their own right and make the movie worthy of watching whenever they appear on screen together. Their interactions and witticism are a highlight in the movie. Nicholson impresses in a negative role. This is something that he very renowned for. Stephen Dorff is commendable in the second half as his involvement is greater. He was an upcoming star and his facial and emotional expressions are on the mark. Jennifer Lopez was at the early stages of her career with this small role but her role serves it's purpose at the very end. Her Cuban accent attempt is was very charming.For those that enjoy cinema with a distinctive noir taste, this is highly recommended as performances are impressive.

With the talent on board, Jack Nicholson, Michael Cane, Jennifer Lopez, and Stephen Dorff, "Blood and Wine" must be regarded as a misfire. The film seems strangely detached, with no real involvement for the audience. Jennife Lopez especially comes across as if she wasn't sure how to present herself. What you get are domestic disputes, disappearing diamonds, and disagreements among thieves, none of which are particularly interesting. Even the heist is depicted as an afterthought. With no likable characters, a script that seems underdeveloped, and little reason for the viewer to care about any of this, everything just sort of drifts along to nowhere. - MERK

Again, a stellar cast cannot help this miserable film.Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine are on a caper to steal a necklace. Nicholson seems to be in a very bad marriage with Judy Davis. Davis is the bright moment in this otherwise uneven drama. She is explosive and pulls out all the stops in her violent scenes with "husband" Nicholson.Caine coughs up a storm here as the dying thief. At least, he got his wish by not dying in prison.Jennifer Lopez appears as the love interest of Nicholson and his stepson-the son of Davis.The films tends to become overly violent. There are frequent uses of sticks to do the beating. Someone should have taken a stick to this film.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of Blood & Wine's plot as I steered through it by some very interesting characters who were brought to life magnificently by a talented cast, especially Nicholson and Caine. None of the characters are white as snow but all of them, even the Caine character, elicit some sympathy. My only complaint is that the ending although poetic is slightly unsatisfying. Then again that could be because of my sympathy and bias for Nicholson's character. All in all very enjoyable, 8/10.