DVDs in Review

Absolute Power (Clint Eastwood, 1997)

Title: Absolute Power (Clint Eastwood, 1997)

Release date: June 7 2010

Certificate: 15

Format: Blu-ray

RRP: £17.99

Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

Clint Eastwood proved that he could still easily spearhead another crime thriller in 1997 with his solid adaptation of David Baldacci’s celebrated page-turner ‘Absolute Power’. Taking some massive liberties from the source novel, Eastwood is perfectly cast as the aging master art thief Luther Whitney.

He’s perfect at his job, staking out his marks for a long time before going in. He knows every escape route and alarm system that he will encounter. He is prepared as only a true professional can be. This night he’s breaking into a stately mansion that is supposed to be empty for days, only by the time he’s inside the vault someone has just come in.

Looking through the hidden vault’s two-way mirror he witnesses a rape and murder and knows that there’s no going to the police. Not just because he’s a thief but because the man who committed the crime is the President of the United States.

This is such a good set up that it’s inevitable that the film will only go downhill as Whitney goes on the run, chased by the Secret Service and trying to convince his daughter Kate (Laura Linney) to believe him. Still this is a thrilling watch, in part due to the casting.

Eastwood directs firm performances from Gene Hackman (well cast as the President after his similar abuse of power role for Eastwood in ‘Unforgiven’), Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert (who would later play the President in ‘24’) and Judy Davis. ‘Absolute Power’ isn’t as enthralling as Clint’s other Presidential thriller ‘In the Line of Fire’ but it functions well as an ensemble piece, allowing the web of conspiracy to become very well rounded and more believable.

Unfortunately, Eastwood’s version of the book (scripted by William Goldman of ‘All the President’s Men’ and ‘The Princess Bride’ fame) omits the brilliant twist in the middle that would’ve given the film an extra boost as it started to flag. Nevertheless, this is very well made (as nearly all Eastwood-directed films are) and a decent watch, particularly for fans of the cast.

Again, its biggest problem is that it starts with a climax that it can’t hope to top, but this sets up the interesting premise that the ‘leader of the free world’ is more of a villain than a career criminal. Many Eastwood films explore the idea of crooked justice; this one overturns it. 

This film is also available as part of Warner’s extensive DVD box set entitled ‘Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years’. which happens to be the largest single artist box set ever created for DVD. The extensive collection represents a perfect introduction to the prolific actor/director who rarely strayed from Warner Brothers, making it an almost complete filmography of the living legend. Titles included are:

1.    Where Eagles Dare (1968)
2.    Kelly's Heroes (1970)
3.    Dirty Harry (1971)
4.    Magnum Force (1973)
5.    The Enforcer (1976)
6.    The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
7.    The Gauntlet (1977)
8.    Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
9.    Any Which Way You Can (1980)
10.    Bronco Billy (1980)
11.    Honkytonk Man (1982)
12.    Firefox (1982)
13.    Sudden Impact (1983)
14.    Tight Rope (1984)
15.    City Heat (1984)
16.    Pale Rider (1985)
17.    Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
18.    Bird (Director’s Cut) (1988)
19.    The Dead Pool (1988)
20.    Pink Cadillac (1989)
21.    The Rookie (1990)
22.    White Hunter Black Heart (1990)
23.    Unforgiven (1992)
24.    Perfect World (1993)
25.    The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
26.    Midnight In The Garden Of Good and Evil (Director’s Cut) (1997)
27.    Absolute Power (1997)
28.    True Crime (1999)
29.    Space Cowboys (2000)
30.    Blood Work (2002)
31.    Mystic River (2003)
32.    Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
33.    Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
34.    Gran Torino (2009)
35.    Invictus (2010)