A remake of French film Les Liens du sang, Blood Ties tells the story of two brothers, divided by crime and law, whose relationship is called into question as organized crime threatens to take over New York City in the 1970s. The film stars Clive Owen and Billy Crudup as the antagonistic two brothers, as well as Marion Cotillard, Zoe Saldana, and Mila Kunis. 

Writer/Director

You may recognize French actor Guillaume Canet from 2000's The Beach, or TFF 2011's Last Night, but recently, he's been doing more work behind the camera. In 2010, he wrote and directed audience favorite Little White Lies. Blood Ties is the first English-language film he's written and directed. 

Genre

The New York crime drama/thiller is a staple of American cinema; for many audiences overseas, the urban decay films of the 1970s were their first images of the city. Guillaume Canet uses this film to acknowledge this influence on auteurs around the world. The genre also represents a golden age in American cinema, and its popularity never really fell away. Because of the sheer volume of films that fall into this category, new films must find a way to set themselves apart, and tell the story with finesse. Canet's attention to detail and love of twisting plotlines lead us to believe this will not be a problem for him. 

Cast

Marion Cotillard and Billy Crudup come together for the first time since Big Fish, but they're not the only stars. Clive Owens and James Caan, Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis--a great mixture of the biggest names in Hollywood talent is featured in this film. 

Editing

Editing can make or break any movie, especially thrillers. In the hands of Hervé de Luze, however, we have nothing to fear. In 2003, he garnered an Oscar nomination for his work on The Pianist. De Luze has over 60 editing credits to his name, and this is the third Canet-directed movie he's worked on. 

Art Direction

Emmy-award winning Art Director Henry Dunn has worked on everything from  The Sopranos to Mad Men, to the upcoming adaptation of This is Where I Leave You. From the trailer, it looks as though he's managed to captured the feeling of the 70s without hitting us over the head with it. 

And to TFF alum Guillaume Canet: Chapeau et bonne continuation!