BLOOD AND WINE

BLOOD AND WINE reframes the classic crime question ìIs blood thicker than water?î Only in this story the modern-age family is not blood relatives or even friends. In this crime story set in Miami, Jason (Stephen Dorff) is a fisherman and someday seeks to own his own boat and make an honest living. On the other hand, his step-father, Alex Gates (Jack Nicholson), is neither kind to his family nor is he an honest husband. He is a wine merchant in Miami and works his magic on the rich and famous for a living. Now, he believes he has found the easy solution to his monetary ills because the nanny of a rich family will help him gain his undeserved ìinheritanceî.

Young Jason works hard to earn a living fishing for large game fish and also works for his stepfather as a wine distributor. The relationship between Jason and his stepfather are as tense as the relationship between his stepfather and his mother. Mr. Alex Gates has been staying away from the family at nights and is suspected of cheating or at least giving up on his family. Since the family business must succeed, Jason goes with Alex to the Reecesí estate to deliver a case of wine for their sea cruise. There he meets, Gabbie, their Cuban nanny, and they strike a chord. However, the nanny is not interested because of her love affair with another man.

The nannyís love affair is with none other than Alex, Jasonís stepfather, but his plans with the nanny are less than sincere. Alex plans to rob the Reeces of their million dollar diamond necklace with the help of Gabbie and a professional thief, Victor (Michael Cain). Victor is a British character with incredible coughing fits and a mean temper. After a series of suspenseful and confusing hurdles, Alex and Victor steal the diamond necklace, and Alex attempts to fly to New York to sell their bounty with Gabbie at his side. While Alex is packing to leave Miami and his step-family, his wife enters the scene and wrestles him to the ground. Believing he is dead or dying, she packs the suit case he was ready to take and escapes with her son and the diamond necklace, albeit unknown to them.

Now in Largo, mother and son discover their treasure and seek to escape with the money so that they can be rid of Alex Gates for good. Alex and Victor are not ready to give up their part of the loot so easily and search for the two runaways. They meet in Largo and chase each other until the mother and sonís car crash, killing the mother. Alex runs to the car and rummages through his wifeís body for the diamond, but comes up empty handed. He and Victor flee the scene, but hold a close surveillance on Jason for their diamonds.

Jason runs away from the two criminals to his home and finds Gabbie in his motherís bed. Now, he knows the truth behind the plot to steal the Reecesí diamonds and how much a pawn he has been. Even so, he tries to persuade Gabbie to leave with him. She is willing to go, but when she learns that he will return the diamonds to their rightful owner, she reunites with Alex to get the money for the diamonds. She leads him to Jason, but Jason is waiting, and they fight it out.

Even though none of the characters have truly redeeming values, Jason regrets his criminal activity and the result it has had on him and his family. He finally turns away from the criminal lifestyle, but his step-father, Alex, does not find the same solace and will live with the consequences of his malevolence. BLOOD AND WINE retells a crime paradox in a simple storyline with an modern twist on the family. Since the movie does not reflect the lifestyle or values of most Americans, it is doubtful that it will do well at the box office.