Absolute Power | | Cast : | Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris | | Director : | Clint Eastwood | | Studio : | Castle Rock | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | February 14, 1997 | | DVD Released Date : | February 08, 2005 | | Language : | French (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 30, 2005 | | Summary | A movie that is an embarrassment to the book. | Content
 | Warning: this review reveals many things about the book but nothing about the movie. I don't know how they could say that this movie is based on the book. The only thing that is really the same is the burglary in the beginning. I know how movies based on books how to cut out many parts to make it fit until the right amount of time but i never thought that they could take out the main charactor and hero. Jack Graham was the best part of the book and Clint Eastwood cut him out to make himself the main charactor. Also they made the billionare Walter Sulivan seem like a complete idiot because Luther had to tell him who killed his wife. Sulivan was a very smart man and figured it out by himself. This movie cut out many important factors of the book that made it more suspenseful. Deaths like: Walter Sulivan, Luther Whitney, Sandy Lord, Sandy Lord's mistress, and Bill Burton. I am suprised that they even killed Christy Sulivan in the first place. Also they left out many key elements of the book such as: Jack for a big one, Russell and Collin's affair, the knife being destroyed, everyones death that I mentioned before, and Kate's relationship with her father.
This movie pissed me off very much becuase it left out all of the suspence that Baldacci put in. I mean when Luther kills Collin it sounds like something straight out of Dirty Hairy "Mercy," said Collin "I fresh out," replied Luther. I mean come it's cool for an action movie with no plot but this book is one of my favorites and the movie ruined my mental image of it. Don't see the movie but I recommend the book. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 29, 2005 | | Summary | This film needs a Presidential Pardon. | Content
| There was a time when ABSOLUTE POWER had success written all over it. It is based on a best-selling novel of political intrigue, adapted by screenwriter William Goldman (BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID) and was directed by and starred the sturdy Clint Eastwood. But, like most things political, the film gets lost in red tape and the story is trivialized.
Luther, a slick jewel thief (Eastwood) witnesses and is blamed for a crime of passion while 'working'. As the murder intimately involves the President of the United States, more than jail awaits Luther if he is trapped. The President's chief of staff and bodyguards will stop at nothing to keep the President 'Protected'. Thrown in to round out the film is Luther's derivative quest to mend his relationship with his daughter.
Gene Hackman, who is able to add a touch of class to every film (except HEARTBREAKERS), is the President who gets less out of his cabinet when he's not out of his drawers. At the books writing, the concept of the philandering command-in-chief was unique. Not since John Kennedy had the tabloids been filled with such material. But the film is watered down by President Clinton's controversial real-life relationships. But bad timing is no excuse for the poorly executed material and awkward scenes.
An overlong and overcomplicated relationship between Luther and the Homicide detective who hunts him down is only made worse when he falls for the daughter, Kate. The usually strong Ed Harris plays agent Seth Frank feebly and Laura Linney fills the unrewarding victim role of Kate nicely. Scott Glenn is wallpaper as the bodyguard that gets a crisis of conscience. He works alongside one of the only bright points in the film, Judy Davis as the manipulative Chief of Staff.
This film has some clever moments but is altogether shoddily constructed as potentially short scenes are dreadfully long and vice versa. However, the film can be a brief distraction from what ails you. The DVD has an audio video transfer worthy of a better film.
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| Rating | | | Date | July 08, 2005 | | Summary | Quite good, rather | Content
| When I first saw this movie I wasn't expecting anything great. I thought it was just going to be another 'corruption-in-the White-house-plot' but it turned out to be rather different. At the time such films were popular thanks to the Lewinskigate scandal. Absolute Power is much better than other films in the sub-genre like Murder at 1600.
The plot and subject matter are handled with care and maturity and the direction was dignifying to the source material despite having some radical changes near the end. This was the second film I saw that Eastwood had directed (after Perfect World) and I was surprised to see that he is as good at directing as he is acting. Every scene is masterfully edited and framed. Even with a 121 minute running time the film doesn't drag at any point.
I was most impressed with the opening of the movie. Despite the fact that Clint in on screen for the entire first 35 minutes he only has two short lines. I wonder why he didn't cut these out and say nothing until after the opening act as a way of giving the film a peculiar edge. Still, Absolute Power has an opening that has more class and masterful storytelling than most entire movies.
There are three other main actors in the movie. Gene Hackman as the conniving President, Laura Linney as Eastwood's estranged daughter and Ed Harris as the investigating cop. Despite the scope of the film I thought it was brilliant how Eastwood kept the entire story between a handful of characters.
Absolute Power focuses more on these characters and their motivations and feelings rather than giving us ridiculous reasons for set-pieces and shoot-outs. But the movie still has action and it is very well done indeed.
I recommend you see this movie but try to see it in widescreen to fully appreciate Eastwood's great cinematography. The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound. Sadly, there are no extras. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 09, 2005 | | Summary | Inappropriate Title...Good movie | Content
| This movie starts in the most smooth of ways and it carries for the first thirty minutes. It's just very well synchronised and there were around 10-15 minutes where not a single dialogue were spoken. It keeps the viewer interested. It looks like a simple movie in the end. It perfectly fits the three star grade but that doesnt mean its a bad movie. It's just that it's probably one of the best three start movies you will see.
Ed Harris acts really well in this film and there's this certain level of professionalism I notice in Sir Clint Eastwood which is what I appreciate about him.
An Average story played out in a great way.
Watch it no matter what.Definitely worth your 2 hours.
HSA |
| Rating | | | Date | June 01, 2005 | | Summary | One of Mr Eastwoods better films of late | Content
| It seemed that the last few films of Clint were slipping overall. But this one is not one of them. I really enjoyed this one as it was well thought out and well performed. Bravo to all hands involved! |
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