Blood and Money

While this thriller effectively evokes its chilly Maine setting, its lethargic story feels like a collection of familiar scenes slapped together in the right order that somehow fail to work together. The image of a dead body and a bag of money in the snow recalls films like Fargo and A Simple Plan. Unfortunately, the visual richness and narrative brilliance of those movies only make Blood and Money seem even more pallid. Scenes in which Jim talks with Debbie or meets a man at an AA meeting are meant to enrich his character, but they're so disconnected from everything else that they just feel like stepping stones. Other scenes attempt severe stretches of logic.

Eventually, there's no real reason to care about much of anything. Berenger -- an Oscar nominee for Platoon -- is a forceful actor, and he looks natural holding a rifle or tromping around in the great outdoors. But for whatever reason, he doesn't seem to be able to convey his character's deep anguish. Even stranger, despite the guilt and grief that Jim is supposed to have (his own drunk driving was responsible for his daughter's death), his actions don't really reflect this. He atones for his violence with more violence. Ultimately, Blood and Money is about as thrilling as its generic title.