An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 16-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.Director:
Jean-François RichetWriters:
Peter Craig (screenplay), Andrea Berloff (screenplay)
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Stars:
Elisabeth Röhm, Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty |
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Storyline
An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 16-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.
John Link (Gibson) is a hard faced ex con with wrinkles so deep, you know each crevice would tell its own story. But his eyes tell us everything we need to know about him.
He lives in a desolate wasteland that trailer trash would look down on. The only two uncertain that Link has not hit his lowest ebb are Kirby (William H Macy), his best friend and AA sponsor, and Link himself.
Link has an ex wife and an ex daughter, Lydia (Erin Moriarty), who's been missing. When Lydia makes a collect call for help after her "off the rails" life finally hits a dead end, Link's paternal instincts of the film's title kick in. So does his "bad ass."
I can't say the story is new, but it is well told, all the same, by director, Jean-François Richet and the players. Gibson only makes you wonder what we have missed out on these past years. It's obvious he has missed playing solid roles for his fans. He does not phone in a moment in this performance.
My only complaint about this 87 minute thriller is Macy. I wish they doubled his screen time. The way he and Gibson play off each other is gold.
Erin Moriarty does not look sixteen, but she does a great job as the daughter in trouble, holding her own in scenes with Gibson. She's a keeper and one to watch. Diego Luna makes a very menacing villain, again, with not enough screen time.
Blood Father has action to burn, is laugh out loud funny at times and still had enough grit to (literally) move me to the edge of my seat, where I could not stop myself from squirming. It could have been fifteen minutes longer. I give Gibson ten stars and the movie eight. That's a nine star average!
If Lionsgate let this gem slip into VOD, they are "Blood Dumb."