Blood and Wine is a 1996 neo-noir thriller directed by Bob Rafelson from a screenplay written by Nick Villiers and Alison Cross.
Alex Gates (Jack Nicholson) is a wine merchant living in Miami who has distanced himself from his alcoholic wife Suzanne (Judy Davis) and stepson Jason (Stephen Dorff). Heavily in debt, Alex concocts a plan to steal a valuable diamond necklace from the house of one of his clients, where his Cuban mistress Gabriela (Jennifer Lopez) works, with the help of safe-cracker Victor (Michael Caine). But the plan doesn't go smoothly, not at all helped by Jason becoming attracted to Gabriela, unaware of her relationship with Alex.
This film contains examples of:
- Affably Evil: Victor is a violent career criminal, but is generally pleasant and funny unless someone or something gets in his way.
- Lady Drunk: Suzanne is an alcoholic older woman that has a bit of a bitter, misanthropic personality (through that's less the alcohol and more because of Alex's philandering) that showcases how much of a Big, Screwed-Up Family Alex has.
- The Mistress: Gabriela is Alex's Cuban mistress.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: After all the troubles he got himself in to get the necklace, Alex, after getting severely injured in a fight with Jason and with an ambulance on the way, has no choice but to dispose of the evidence and throws the necklace into the ocean.
