Absolute Power: Review By moviegeek

Clint Eastwood is a great director. He creates fabulous character drama amidst the very heavy themes he plays around with. But Absolute Power is heavy and serious, dramatic and loving, dim-witted and absurd.

Eastwood is a professional thief who steals from rich men. On one heist to a rich man's house, he is interrupted to find a man and a woman come home. Shockingly, the woman is assaulted by the man and when she gains the upper hand, she is murdered. The man (Gene Hackman) turns out to be, get this, the President of the United States. Eastwood witnesses it all and has evidence to convict the President of adultery and a murder cover-up. Eastwood is now on the run from those trying to frame him as the murderer. The secret service get in touch with his daughter (Laura Linney) who also tries to bring him to justice.

Hackman, Linney, and many others in the cast are solid and right for the roles. But Eastwood is not the right choice for someone on the run. I like him in roles where he has the upper hand. When he is on the run, accused of something he didn't commit, he plays the same 'Dirty Harry' aura that really doesn't capture the desperation and fear he needs to have.

The movie is also very dimly lit. It seems dank and depressing. At points, like the beginning, this fits the movie well. But Absolute Power is so absurd that it needs to be lighter and jollier. What we have here is such an overly-serious absurdity that the result is just ugly.

The plot is not believable, or even interesting for that matter. I liked the bits about the father and daughter trying to reconnect and many of the investigation moments are top-notch. But midway through, the plot is halted. Nothing happens for a good 45 minutes or so. The characters and the story just spin their wheels, feeling for something to latch onto. During that mid-section, I lost all interest in the outcome of this story.

But there are some good elements. Eastwood has a good balance between characters and story. He shoots scenes very well (aside from the lighting). But its to no avail. Absolute Power is so dark and mysterious when it should be sillier and more fun. The preposterous plot was okay at first, but then I realized that everyone on-screen bought what was happening.