Those critics (few) who call the film formulaic or cliche would likely call Goodfellas just another mafia crime flic. One wonders if any movie exists in which these pundits wouldn't see a storyline they thought they saw earlier, somewhere else. They certainly mostly missed Blood for Dust's solid storytelling, the "never a wasted scene" directing, the great acting, and the compelling sets and scenes.
Quoting Mark Twain, "We ... take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations."
Blood for Dust is all of that: a curious combination of story, scene, set, production, and acting that makes something entirely new. There is tension from the first gunshot, from the first meeting of Ricky and Cliff, from Cliff's efforts to get a new job, to Cliff signing on with John, to the realization that Ricky is a soulless killer.
And, at the same time, writer David Ebeltoft shows that he cares about - and compels us to care about too - Cliff, his wife Amy, and his former lover, Rebecca. Throughout the movie we feel profound empathy for Cliff, and in important scenes that some might overlook, deep sympathy for Amy and Rebecca.
Of all the acting, dialogue, set design, and production value that take Blood for Dust to the highest level of its crime/drama genres, among the most compelling single moments for me came toward the end, when Amy removes a blood spot from a hockey card, and when the last frame is of a piece of paper that makes you wonder (even yearn to know) what would happen if the film had another 30 minutes to run. I really want to know.
As an aside - I am shocked that this film doesn't enjoy better marketing and even better (already quite good) overall scores. Maybe things will improve when the film hits open streaming channels. But in the meantime: "Com' on folks. Let's have the public do what the distributor isn't." Watch the movie! You won't be disappointed.
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