Many column inches have been given to actor Mel Gibson’s
personal exploits. His actions have seen him go from being a cinematic
hero to Hollywood pariah with work swiftly fading. Over the last decade,
he has occasionally dipped his thespian oar in the water with mixed
results. Whatever one thinks about the man, the actor still has what it
takes to deliver a strong performance. ‘Blood Father’ proves Gibson the
performer still has some mileage left with this magnetic role making use of his
emotional diversity.
John Link (Mel Gibson) is an ex-con trying to go on the
straight and narrow. A recovering alcoholic, his wife left him and his daughter
Lydia (Erin Moriarty) vanished. Suddenly Lydia re-enters his life,
bringing destruction in her wake. On the run from deadly drug dealers, she
pleads with him to help. Reluctantly taking up arms, Link’s grizzled
demeanour aims a steady gaze at all those daring to bring thunderous fire to
his wayward existence.
Using a father/daughter bonding motif as its base, ‘Blood
Father’ becomes a story about redemption. The duo’s self-esteem is in pieces
initially, with their pairing giving them a focus they desperately lack. John,
in particular, is a lost soul searching for new horizons with a percolating
rage ready to explode. Gibson and Moriarty bring intense believability to
their roles providing an authenticity to the often savage story.
Making ‘Blood Father’ stand-out is the cinematography which successfully
conjures the vast expanses in which the characters live. The wide-open
spaces mask the enclosed feelings of inertia the characters feel with only
their changing attitudes able to set them free. The action sequences and
direction are stylishly handled with the short run-time mirroring the quick
brutality the characters face. The sense of urgency in which to escape
their predicament is keenly felt as the drama and action effectively combines.
Mel Gibson may have committed many unpardonable sins but
‘Blood Father’ isn’t one of them. A tight, edgy thriller utilising his
skills with his character’s path to enlightenment perhaps one Gibson needs to
endure in order to see him return to cinematic glory.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 7
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at movie
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