BLOOD FATHER
DIRECTOR: Jean-François Richet
CAST: Mel Gibson, William H Macy, Erin Moriarty, Diego Luna, Michael Parks, Miguel Sandoval
CLASSIFICATION: 16 LV
RUNNING TIME: 89 minutes
RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)
THERESA SMITH
A surprisingly solid action thriller, Blood Father delivers exactly what you expect, and then some.
Mel Gibson is partly an older version of his younger action hero self, but also seems to be drawing on some real-life Hollywood regret to create a character with the underlying guilt and repressed anger that has become his trademark.He gets some great back-up from William H Macy as his AA sponsor and Erin Moriarty as his wayward 17-year-old daughter.Gibson plays ex-con Link, a recovering alcoholic, tattoo artist living in a trailer in the middle of Nowhereville.
A few scenes of interaction with sponsor Kirby (Macy) in the beginning immediately give you a whole lot of info about what a miserable git he is. When his daughter Lydia (Moriarty) unexpectedly turns up after being missing for several years, Link tries to help her elude the Cartel killers who are chasing her. Not only does he draw on his contacts in the underworld to figure out how to protect her, Link also tries to help her create the life she should have had if he had been around to be her father when she was younger.
While he does try to steer her clear of his bad decisions, Link doesn’t preach at the child, which is refreshingly different from other B-grade movies of this ilk. In turn, Lydia is young and naive, but thankfully not a whiny character, and when she channels her dad it is kind of sweet. It also raises the question: was Lydia always going to be like her dad, or did she turn out this way because he wasn’t around when she was growing up?
This gender reversal – films typically only use this kind of theme if the kid is a boy – plus the fact that Lydia isn’t just a damsel in distress, makes for a welcome change. Moriarty has a light touch, with her character doing some fast growing up on the mental level as she gets to grips with the idea that actions have consequences.The dialogue is light and uncorny – Link’s dry observations about addiction are nicely unclichéd – the story is uncomplicated but not simplistic, and the action is grittily nasty but not OTT unbelievable.
Director Jean-Francois Richet (Assault on Precinct 13) keeps up the pace and the audience’s attention focused on his strongest element, which is Gibson’s robust performance. Gibson seems to be tapping into some personal rage and when things go totally sideways, there is a bit of Mad Max coming out too. He is charismatic and delivers a quietly intense performance that never veers into scenery chewing.
Despite all the bits coming together for an epic climax, the ending totally falls off cliché cliff into a river of corny cheese which does undercut the good effort a tad.
If you liked Taken or Edge of Darkness, you will like this.