Overrated and overhyped

Let's be realistic.

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Right out of the gate, you have to accept the premise of this film if you want to afford it any kind of credibility. It's a fairly compelling story right up until the point where we find out that Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman) is the President of the United States. The same President who accompanies the wife of an important political backer to her home for the purpose of carrying on an extramarital affair. I mean really, what President would have the wherewithal to conduct a private liaison like that when virtually every minute of his day is scheduled and recorded? Who did Hackman think he is, Bill Clinton?Now if you removed the character of the President as villain, this would have worked a whole lot better. Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) could have found himself in the same series of predicaments and it would have appeared a lot more credible. There was however his relationship with daughter Kate (Laura Linney) that suggested a question mark for this viewer. With Kate admitting she wanted nothing to do with her father, and hadn't seen him in a year before he made contact again, how was it that she happened to have his phone number handy? Not saying it was impossible, but her face to face denunciation of Luther seemed to suggest that she would have kept him entirely at arm's length with no intention of ever communicating with him.I thought the ending was just a bit too stand pat as well. In his press conference, Walter Sullivan (E.G. Marshall) claims that the despondent President committed suicide by stabbing himself!!! With no witnesses!!! In a closed room with only the two of them face to face!!! And there didn't seem to be a hint of suspicion by anyone about the credibility of that story. Best thing folks, is to leave your brain at the door with this one and just roll with the action. It's actually not as bad as the way I made it sound here, but you have to suspend disbelief in a major way on the way to the finish line.

This is a film I liked a lot. I don't watch politics. But, it is something you have to really follow. It took me 2 times to catch everything. I loved it when I caught everything. Luther is a very well trained thief.

Absolute Power (1997): Dir: Clint Eastwood / Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Judy Davis: Intriguing setup has a murder witnessed through a looking glass. The title can refer to the President who is guilty of a crime or the thief who witnessed it. Clint Eastwood stars as a thief who does drawings of the places he plans to rob. He lifts priceless items before hearing footfall so he ducks behind a two-way mirror. The President and a young woman enter and get intimate. After a struggle, two secret service men storm in and shoot her dead. The chief of staff constructs a plan to avoid conspiracy but they overlook the letter opener used by the victim, which the thief escapes with. Eastwood directs advocating brains over brawn in the solution. Humor is presented when he dons disguises and investigates. Gene Hackman is well cast as President whose victim was the daughter of a billionaire. Eastwood will toy with their paranoia until he meets his down fall. Ed Harris is superb as a cop who doesn't suspect the thief of murder and doesn't realize that his office phone has been bugged. Laura Linney provides an emotional centre as Eastwood's daughter who assists police and becomes a target. Judy Davis is effective as the scheming chief of staff. Theme regards corrupt lifestyles and a desire to revert even when his nature refuses. Score: 10 / 10

I give this movie a seven star rating. And that's for me a movie that I enjoyed and might watch again in the future when I forgot about the story. Above 7 stars is a movie that I find very good to excellent. Under a 7 star it's a movie that I will never watch again. I thought Absolute Power was a nice entertaining movie. I first wanted to rate it an eight but there were a couple things that bugged me so I lowered it. I won't tell about it because I don't like spoilers. With actors like Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman & Ed Harris you are almost certain that it will be a good movie and when the story is good like this one then it can't go wrong. Don't hesitate and watch it.