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| DIRECTED BY |
| Bob Rafelson |
| STARRING |
| Jack Nicholson |
| Stephen Dorff |
| Jennifer Lopez |
| Judy Davis |
| Michael Caine |
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The only connection between �Five Easy Pieces,� �The King Of Marvin Gardens,� and this film is that Jack Nicholson stars in all three. However, Bob Rafelson has stated that he considers these three films to all be apart of one trilogy. This film fails to come close to the heart-wrenching effectiveness of �Five Easy Pieces,� but �Blood & Wine� is, nonetheless, a relatively intelligent thriller with an excellent cast. As Victor, the ailing criminal, Michael Caine gives the standout performance here, although it was Jennifer Lopez who went on to benefit most from the film.
The characters in �Blood & Wine� act and react based solely on their own instincts; each and every one of them are vigilantes; they appear to be living in a universe that revolves completely around them, thus excluding many components of reality (including the law.) This atmosphere allows Rafelson to concentrate solely on the sordid relationships of his characters, which works both beneficially and adversely for the film in the end. Much of what ends up happening (including some of the characters� motivations) wouldn�t seem plausible in reality, but such is the common side effect of an entertaining movie.
The story itself is far from original � it involves a priceless diamond necklace which is (ostensibly) coveted by every character in the film, and it ends up switching possession between different characters more than a hot potato would. However, the familiarity is almost forgivable thanks to Rafelson�s direction of this modern film noir, which manages to come across as raw and simplistic yet slightly stylized as well.
I was frequently left wondering about which character I should care for since everyone seemed to be equally avaricious at times; I actually enjoyed watching Rafelson�s refusal to take the conventional route and brown-nose one particular character until the disappointing denouement, which, to me, was an unimaginative cop out. By the end, I was left wondering where the guy who gave us one of the boldest endings in cinematic history ('Five Easy Pieces') went to.
