ABSOLUTE POWER
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1997 Ben Hoffman
Given that the cast of ABSOLUTE POWER consists of some of our best actors; and given that Clint Eastwood turned out some fine films in recent years, we have to wonder why this film is so bad. Is Clint a victim of the adage, "You can't win them all?" Or is it the improbable story of a President of The United States murdering a woman with whom he is having a rendezvous and then having his aides involved in a coverup? Whatever. The results are not good.
Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) is an expert thief, a master of disguise (we are lead to believe. . . the disguises we see would not fool a blind person) who, after just getting out of prison wants to do one final big job before retirement. That seems like a rather stupid reason to risk getting caught, While in a mansion he has cased to rob, he hears a noise and hides in a vault which just happens to have a one-way mirror so he can see President Richmond (poor Gene Hackman is hardly in the film) perpetrate a murder. . Talk about coincidence.
Once the murder is committed, the Secret Service agent Tim Collin (Dennis Haysbert) who is assigned to guard the President, has to arrange getting the President out of the house and so on. Another agent (Scott Glenn) is also in on everything and even Gloria Russell (Judy Davis), the President's Chief of Staff, has to save the day. Davis has the one good role in the movie and, fine actress that she is, she makes the most of it.
Others wasted in this nonsense are Ed Harris (a homicide detective), E. G. Marshall (a millionaire wheeler and dealer who helped elect the President) and Laura Linney who has the role of Luther Whitney's daughter whom he has not seen in years . . . but that is another story. Ms. Linney looks very much like Helen Hunt, acts very much like her, has her charm and even her hairdo.
Directed by Clint Eastwood. 2 Bytes
4 Bytes = Superb 3 Bytes = Too good to miss 2 Bytes = Average 1 Byte = Save your money
Ben Hoffman
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