Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-19 20:33:35

Film Noir Is Alive and Well

This 1997 thriller from director Bob Rafelson is a first-rate piece of film noir, populated with a fascinating cast of multi-dimensional characters and filled with enough dramatic plot twists to keep viewers off-balance right up until the finish.Though he lives in a nice house, drives an expensive car and has a beautiful wife (Judy Davis), Florida wine merchant Jack Nicholson is virtually broke. That's why he's enlisted the aid of career criminal Michael Caine to help him steal a diamond necklace worth over a million dollars.The burglary goes well, but when Davis discovers that Jack is about to run off with his mistress (Jennifer Lopez), she gets violent, knocks him unconscious, then flees with her grown son, Stephen Dorff, who has taken a liking to Lopez, not aware that she's involved with step-father Nicholson. Unknowingly, mother and son have also fled the scene with the diamond necklace, which means that Jack and the very vicious Caine have no choice but to go after them.The DVD has some excellent extras, including audio commentary by Rafelson, Nicholson, Caine and others, deleted scenes and several retrospective documentary featurettes.© Michael B. Druxman

anonymous 2012-05-19 09:26:37

Clever Caper Flick with brilliant performances

Possibly the best Caper Flick I've ever seen. Michael Caine is fabulouslycreepy, and Nicholson does his usual turn as The Man You Love to Hate.

2012-05-16 08:23:41

Dan Daily, he is awesome

Dan Daily as the wine steward really brings this film above the rest. His few but very signifigant lines bring life and passion to this film. The supporting cast of Nicholson, Caine, Dorff, and Lopez are good too, but Dan Daily is the real key. Rent this one today.

ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ 2012-05-15 18:18:54

BAD AND CHEAP

Sometimes, good actors like Jack Nicholson, have to earn their living bydoing something not good. That is the case, the film has a so weak storythat almost insults the viewer. If you can avoid seeing it, please do so.It is a bad film, from beginning to end.

2012-05-12 05:00:27

One of Nicholson's most underrated pictures, watch his interview on the extra features

This review is from: Blood and Wine (DVD) I remember watching this movie when it came out in 1997 and was in college at the time. Now, nearly 15 years later it still can hold my attention and see it often on the FMC -fox movie channel, were they play it once a month or so. Nicholson actually play's a good guy that lives life a little on the edge and trys to make everyone around him happy in a secret way. Can be quite a moving picture for the right person leaving the ending somewhat interesting. The extra features are really neat in that Nicholson does not do tv interviews yet he is interviewed here in the extra features of the dvd. Might be worth buying just for the extra features.Peter J. MillerTraverse City, MIpeterjoemiller@gmail.com

moviestar26 2012-05-11 15:05:36

Good performance and dialogues make for pleasurable viewing.

Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson supported each others careers in the70s with movies like 'The king of Marvin gardens' and 'Five easypieces'. 'Blood and wine' was the third part in the trilogy. Rafelson'smovies were very unique in their own way with Nicholson. His movieswere very highly focused on relationships and this formed the core inevery movie. In 'Blood and wine' Nicholson is playing the father andson and again delivers another fantastic performance. Regardless of therole, Nicholson is always in top form and most times has the abilitycarry the movie independently. The noir atmosphere is not continuouslypresent in the movie. The theme of betrayal, greed and loyalty iscommon to all in this genre and the movie covers this field on a largescale. The only noir factor that missing is the femme fa tale element.However this does not take away any charm from the movie. Manyintriguing and suspenseful moments are directed in a unique way thatmakes the movie's routine theme appear eye capturing. In the initialphase of the movie one would immediately assume that this is a heistmovie. However the second half dispels all doubts.The basic theme revolves around the theft of a expensive diamondnecklace and how bitter relations leads the characters in to a game ofcat and mouse. The character interactions in the second half progressesthe movie steadily and there is never a irrelevant segment. In terms ofplot, the writer (Nick Viltues) has accomplished some good writing butmany criticised the movie for it's lack of character depth and even forit's climax. In my opinion only on a re watch the movie's real qualitycan be appreciated. If one views the movie with concentration andfocus, he/she will realise that the u.s.p of the movie is in theperformances and dialogues. 'Blood and wine' is not a classic but trulya milestone for introducing the noir genre in to the nineties. Latermovies like 'U Turn' and 'Lost Highway' followed.SPOILERS AHEAD Nicholson plays a wine merchant who is having a bitterrelationship with his wife (Davis) and son (Dorff). His neglectingattitude has created a rift in relations in the household. He and Cainewho plays a ageing safe-cracker on parole plan to steal a expensivenecklace 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 losther job, however with a little inconvenience the pair still manage toget their hands on the necklace. Nicholson plans to travel to New Yorkto sale it for a good price. He books a flight with Lopez who he ishaving an affair with. Unfortunately his wife discovers this whichleads to a brawl and Nicholson becomes unconscious. Dorff arrives onthe scene and him and his mother escape. Later Nicholson awakes andfinds 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 pursuitturns nasty which leads to the death of Dorff's mother. After thisDorff decides to get revenge with genius methods. He pits Caine againstNicholson and attempts to lure Nicholson with the necklace with the aidof Lopez. END OF SPOILERSFor a small thriller the movie extracts brilliant performances from allinvolved. This element is the core of the movie and brings out lifefrom a routine script. Plot twists are at a minimum however this doesnot deters ones' enjoyment from the movie. Every clever surprising plotdevelopment that occurs happens to the viewer's attention. BobRafelson's direction is standard and is in tone with the movies theme.Many close up shots of the character's faces are mesmerising. Itcaptures feelings and emotions very realistically. Florida has become acommon setting for movies of this nature. Body Heat, Palmetto and Wildthings too used this location. This is another highlight for the moviebut many scenes are shot indoors so outdoor scenery is restricted to acertain extent. The background score is very thin. It is not used atevery point. Music is incorporated at moments when it can feel mosteffective 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 ofwatching whenever they appear on screen together. Their interactionsand witticism are a highlight in the movie. Nicholson impresses in anegative role. This is something that he very renowned for. StephenDorff is commendable in the second half as his involvement is greater.He was an upcoming star and his facial and emotional expressions are onthe mark. Jennifer Lopez was at the early stages of her career withthis small role but her role serves it's purpose at the very end. HerCuban accent attempt is was very charming.For those that enjoy cinema with a distinctive noir taste, this ishighly recommended as performances are impressive.

2012-05-10 03:28:49

been there, done that, seen that ... oh so many times before

This review is from: Blood and Wine (DVD) I assume all the rave reviews are because Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine have such high reputations, but really, this is a very tired old "noir" story that we've all seen 100s of times before. Rafelson says in the commentary that he wanted to update his tale for the 1990s by emphasizing the "greed" aspect. Huh? Every noir film is about greed.Yeah, there are lots of twists and turns and betrayals, but it's all so very predicatable because all noir films have the same betrayals. I was mostly bored by this film. I only got it because it had Jennifer Lopez, but her role was disappointingly small. Not a tiny role, but not so big either.Anyway, if you've only seen 200 or 300 noir films, so that you're still surprised and tense over the same old, same old plot points (the usual betrayals motivated by greed and sex), then I guess you may as well see this one too.

Jack Gattanella 2012-05-09 11:21:17

Florida noir at it's best since Huston's Key Largo; perhaps Nicholson's most underrated star turn from the 90s

I'm not sure why I haven't seen Blood and Wine from start to finish upuntil today, but it has always been intriguing as that one JackNicholson movie I would see in bits and pieces on TV, with J-Lo in anearly supporting role as the not-quite femme fatale, and Michael Caineas a guy with a very bad cough. Seeing it today I'm reminded of theclassic work Bob Rafelson, director, and Nicholson did back in the 70s,even if they already reached their peak on their first film, Five EasyPieces. But at the least Blood and Wine represents a return to form forNicholson under the director he worked with most, either as actor orwriter (he co-wrote Head), especially in the F.E.P. role of a SOB,which, of course, is usually as easy for Nicholson as raising up hiseyebrows. His character, Alex, is a criminal, but not a very good one,as he isn't entirely able to balance out his goals as a jewel thief andas an adulterer with Lopez's Gabriella. It doesn't help that his wife(Judy Davis) has a son from a previous marriage (Stephen Dorff), whohas it in for Alex big-time. Meanwhile, that jewel necklace is almostup in the air, and all his craggy partner, Vic (Michael Caine), can dois cough a lot and act more as a dumb muscle than as a consummateprofessional.So in these ingredients, Rafelson and his writers have a classic,cooked-up noir with enough style by its actors and locale to make upfor what would be considered 'too violent' to show back in the forties(probably too sexy too, what with Lopez's 'assets'). Rafelson knowsthis material needs the best cast, and assembled is the best cast forthe job, where desperation, greed, proper morality and just a moment ofpiece of mind get shifted around but are always the constants that allthese characters. Nicholson is, well, Nicholson, cold to the bone butalso a great liar, violent, passionate, but won't stop till he gets hisway. He's not breaking new ground or setting up himself for the usualawards circuits, but it's still very cool to see him playing Alex asbelievable work of sleaze, almost in the tradition of Bogart (heactually does just as good, if not better, here than he did inRafelson's 'Postman' remake). Dorff, meanwhile, could be considered theweakest link with a cast like this, but he holds his own fairly wellwithin his character's basic lines, especially when considering theroles he'd have to take later on. Caine is a natural at playing against"type", which doesn't really exist for him, and disappears into thispragmatic but vicious parolee. And actresses like Davis and Lopez fitinto their roles in the "noir" mood with equal levels of ease. I wish Icould see Lopez in more roles like this where we might not believetotally her intentions for either of the men in her life, but is notnecessarily cruel like the old femme fatales either.Released, as they say, under the radar back in 96, Blood and Wine usesits Miami and Florida locales like they're still lush and lustful andengaging, and the danger here isn't diminished from what's usuallyexpected in the urban cities and dark alleys. Rafelson's got his A-gameon here with an enjoyable story where we can guess pretty much where itwill lead- the wills of men tested head-to-head- but it's a lot ofharsh fun getting there.

Darryl Cox 2012-05-09 09:54:48

NICHOLSON AND CAINE MAKE TOP-NOTCH TEAM

One can argue the pros and cons of the plot of BLOOD AND WINE (which Iactually think worked well). But the teaming of Jack Nicholson andMichaelCaine alone make this film worth watching. I love seeing top-notch prosworking off each other in films (It was the only reason to bother withSPACECOWBOYS), and when it's done as well as it's done in BLOOD AND WINE, itcan't be beat.It's not just that the two do such typically good work. It's also howwellthey are utilized in the story. The partnership of the two characterswouldbe interesting to watch even if they were played by lesser actors, but inthe hands of Caine and Nicholson, we get some near-classicmoments.In short, check out two of the best in action. And hope to God they gettowork together again sometime soon. Makes you want to see, say ClintEastwood and Sean Connery work together next.

Jizdenky 2012-05-08 14:09:52

Money and Wine

'Blood and Wine' has a sort of film noire feel to it. It reminds one ofthe Humphrey Bogart and Alfred Hitchcock classics. Though it's not asstylish a film Rafelson does make good use of the Florida locations.Some of the dialogues are interesting too. The element of suspense iswell maintained but what really works for 'Blood and Wine' is theunusual cast. Jack Nicholson is not very different from his other filmsbut it suits Alex Gates. Michael Caine is a knockout as the murdererwith a bad cold. He's quite the scene-stealer. Judy Davis is firstrate. Stephen Dorff plays holds his own. Jennifer Lopez is stunning.What is most striking is her natural beauty combined with a naturalperformance. She more than holds her own and brings a certain humannessand courage to an otherwise fragile Gabriella. Overall, Rafelson's isan intriguing little thriller with a fantastic cast.

2012-05-01 08:17:47

Put this on a double feature with BLOOD SIMPLE

BLOOD AND WINE could be the warm-up for a double feature with a flick from the mid-1980s, BLOOD SIMPLE. Both revolve around ensemble casts where no relationship may be worthy of, much less built on, trust.BLOOD SIMPLE's the better film but BLOOD AND WINE is not without its creepy charms. Michael Caine stands out as hot-tempered, TB-suffering safe cracker hellbent on pulling off one last caper with partner Jack Nicholson. Speaking of Nicholson, critic Roger Ebert said it was BLOOD AND WINE, not AS GOOD AS IT GETS, that was the Oscar-worthy performance the great actor did that year.Some of BLOOD AND WINE's plot devices struck me as a little weak, not that I want to give too much away. But just as you start to un-suspend your disbelief, Caine, Nicholson and Jennifer Lopez electrify the next scene.And to give the story some credit, BLOOD AND WINE has Lopez's character taking a boat ride with a young man with whom she has a mutual attraction. Yet nothing happens while they have each other alone at sea. Again, without giving away too much, later on they are alone in a bedroom for the first time, with further results at least one of them would not expect!See BLOOD AND WINE, and if you have never seen BLOOD SIMPLE, get both. Trust me.

Ruby Liang 2012-04-30 11:28:15

Dark film noir in color with stellar cast

Director Bob Rafelson ("Five Easy Pieces" 1970, "Postman Always Rings Twice,The" 1981) teamed up once again with Jack Nicholson in the lead, with steadyand enduring veterans Michael Caine and Judy Davis, along with a brilliant,faceted performance from Jennifer Lopez, and a gritty, sharp one fromStephen Dorff. It's a complex thriller drama, one-upmanship at every turn. Who will be thewinner and get the goods? This one sure keep you guessing - or, you're socaught up in all the intrigues that you have no time to second guess them.It's probably a "TORV" (tastier on repeat viewing) - a category I came upwith as I realized many a film somehow belongs. I may not immediatelyappreciate the film on first viewing, yet when I get to see it again, suchare the case with Curtis Hanson's "Wonder Boys" 2000, and Ang Lee's "IceStorm, The" 1997, I actually sat through them with higher interest, and yes,knowing the plot already, I found myself watching the nuances of plotlineand acting delivered more closely. "Blood and Wine", on repeat viewing, feltmuch juicier than I first saw it in the theater. If you like a dark film noir thriller, one that's for mature audiences (vs.lightweight fanciful intrigue as John McNaughton's "Wild Things" 1998 withKevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell and Denise Richards), try "Blood andWine." There's another worthwhile mature thriller, written and directed byBritain's Simon Moore, "Under Suspicion" 1992, with Liam Neeson (as TonyAaron, a not so successful cop turned private eye) and Laura San Giacomo (asAngeline, the mysterious mistress of a rich dead man). It's a cleverwhodunit in a rather subtle way. Possibly keeps you guessing even after youleft the theater or finished viewing the film. (Ha, another candidate forTORV.)["TORV" - copyright 2001 Ruby Liang, ruby_fff]

2012-04-25 03:05:20

Bloody Hell

Jack's back in Blood and Wine, but I'm not sure the results will have you drunk with joy. The script does call for the great grinner to be a snake in the grass wine dealer who's looking to score some major jewels. Fine. But there's no zing, no pop, no nothing.Alex Gates (Nicholson) can't make anybody happy anymore. He's cash-poor and his wine business hasn't aged all that well. His had-it-up-to-here wife Suzanne (Judy Davis) ends up doing more whining then her hubby. He's never home, and when he is, he usually goes at it with Suzanne's son Jason (Stephen Dorff). The point of all this is theft. Alex calls on old friend Victor Spansky (Michael Caine in the best role he's had in years) to help him pull it off. The two aren't exactly Bonnie and Clyde but they do good work before Suzanne gets wise to Alex and his mistress (the hot, hot, hot Jennifer Lopez).I find it admirable that Nicholson's been taking pay cuts to star in low budget films like this one and Sean Penn's underrated The Crossing Guard, but what happened to the man's taste in scripts. The silver lining is when Jack goes toe-to-toe with Davis, who matches him scowl for scowl and wields a golf club like a psycho Tiger Woods. Also, Caine's hacking sleazoid is beautiful, but the two old dragons never get enough room to breathe the fire that's in them.The problem here has to be director Bob Rafelson who, for whatever reason, can't build the suspense. Under the tutelage of Captain Bob, the stakes are never high enough. What we're left with is a second rate thriller with glimmers of brilliance. It's not enough. Remember friends, Blood and Wine don't mix.

Paul 2012-04-24 15:59:31

Michael caine is extraordinary - film is so-so

Michael Caine gives one of his greatest performances, and that really issaying something. How many times have you seen someone overshadow CJckNicholson? Well it happens here. Caine's character is at times pathetic, atothers funny, and at others deeply nasty, and always believable.Jennifer Lopez looks astonishing in this but her character is a cypher. Thescript is so-so, as is the direction, but it is worth watching once for theCaine masterclass.

Robert D. Ruplenas 2012-04-24 00:14:48

pretty good flick

This is a pretty good suspense/crime/intrigue flick about a jewelry heistgone terribly awry. The big draw here is Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine,working together, for the first time, I believe. They provide two nicelycontrasted portraits inmalice: Nicholson as a two-bit hood with a connoisseur's taste anddelusionsof grandeur, down on his luck, and Michael Caine as a grimly desperatesafecracker with advanced respiratory disease who feels the grim reaper athis heels and wants one last big score. Their plans are set askew byNicholson's wife and stepson, leading to nasty complications. NicholsonandCaine are great together, especially the latter. Worth asee.

j6054 2012-04-23 10:37:00

writers too lazy to go the distance

All star cast and great plot possibilities are wasted on thismovie.First of all, the love triangle turns out to be unsatisfying becausenothingreally comes of the "triangle", so why bother. The "crime"itself is given no more than a few minutes and produces littledrama.The promised double and triple-cross and changeable loyaltiesthatensue after the theft in fighting over the booty play out like anepisode of "Nash Bridges". Now that I think about it, this wholemoviereminds me of an episode of some similar TV crime drama and could beplayed out easily in an hour or less with better writing and be muchmore entertaining.

Sean Gallagher 2012-04-23 21:13:00

Nicholson and Rafelson do it again with underrated film noir

Except for the awful 1992 MAN TROUBLE, and the Monkees movie HEAD (which Inever saw), every collaboration between Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson hasbeen interesting and pretty good. This film noir is another example ofthat. This may be a familiar tale about, as the tagline says, no honoramong thieves, but Rafelson and the writers make this more character driventhan you'd expect, except for the nanny played by Jennifer Lopez, who seemslike just a plot device. So when events in the plot happen, they don'thappen because of plot manipulation, but because that's how we believe thecharacters would react in that situation.Nicholson and Caine are good as men who feel trapped, Nicholson by anunhappy family life and a business going down the tubes, and Caine by hisdying body. So their viciousness (and Caine in particular acts vicious)comes from desperation more than just sadism. Judy Davis is good in almosteverything I see her, and she's good here, playing a surprisingly complexcharacter. I wasn't a big fan of Stephen Dorff until his turn in I SHOTANDY WARHOL, but he continues his good work from that film with hisperformance here. This is also one of the few Florida-based films thatdon't get off on the scenery.

2012-04-22 22:25:22

Riveting entertainment!

Hey, granted, this is ain't for delicate sensibilities, but it sure is dynamite entertainment. It doesn't come much better. Sure, it's crass & classless & about greed & deception & lust, but so's the Bible (the first part, anyway). Get Shorty was a candy bar compared to this flick. Watching Nicholson, Caine & Davis together has to be (if you enjoy good acting) one of the pinnacles of film-viewing, particularly the repartees between the two male leads: near-Shakespearean. Rafelson sure makes this movie trip right along, always the sign in my book of a first class movie. And more than anything, what a pleasure to see Nicholson & Rafelson together again. 5 Easy Pieces & King of Marvin Gardens have to be two of the most brilliant films ever made.

2012-04-21 02:11:46

Stellar cast. Brilliant film making.

Jack Nicholson is typically brilliant. Judy Davis is positivelycompelling.Michael Caine does what he does when given a great script: exceptionalwork. Stephen Dorff is a great young actor, and Jennifer Lopez isstunningly beautiful, if at times out of her league here.The script is good, the direction is excellent, and the film, in total, isasolid 8.5 on the 10 scale. Those who complain that the film is too violentshouldn't watch movies about crime. Crime is typically violent. (Despitethe way it's depicted in most films.)See this movie. Ignore the idiots.

kuntal_shah 2012-04-20 17:40:33

Keeps you guessing what will happen next

The movie keeps you guessing what happens next. Therelationshipbetween 5 main characters is perplexing; to us and probablytothe characters themselves. The necklace is just a vehiclethattriggers changes in these relationships; ending in climaxthatis partly tragic, partly not.