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Absolute Power may not be an overly special film but it was the first movie I saw in the cinema after leaving high school. I was certainly not the target audience but it had my attention from the first scene and maintained the suspense for the during of the running time, even if it doesn't build to much.

Clint Eastwood plays Luther Whitney, an expert thief who targets billionaire industrialist Walter Sullivan (grouchy old EG Marshall, in his last theatrical movie) while he is off on vacation. While in the midst of cleaning out the vault the President of the United States (Gene Hackman) enters the room with Sullivan's wife. Whitney hides in the vault, which has a two-way mirror, and witnesses the President get a little too rough with the woman, which ends in her fighting him off and being murdered by the secret service. The Chief of Staff concocts a plan to cover up the murder not knowing that Whitney is watching the whole thing. As the group leave he escapes, taking a crucial piece of evidence with him.

Initially unsure what to do, Whitney decides to taunt the President, though it's not clear what his complete plan is or even if he's just free-forming. If one should fault Absolute Power for any reason it's that it establishes a lot of plot and potential but never really does anything with it and ends with an anti-climactic cop-out.

Where it succeeds is with the small cast of characters who really make the dialogue and relationships work. Ed Harris as the confused but dedicated cop investigating the case, Laura Linney as Whitney's resentful daughter, and the austere Scott Glenn as the self-doubting agent make every scene effortless even when there's not much happening.

Adapted from (and streamlined and improved in the process) the bloated novel by David Baldacci (I call them 'Airport novels' – those 600-page bricks with generic covers featuring nothing but the title and author in giant gold letters in a tacky font) the screenplay makes many changes but they are all for the better. Eastwood's direction is slow and steady – or 'mature'. The pace and framing is the antidote for anyone bored to tears with the nauseating aesthetic of today's comic-book movies and CGI nightmares.

A curious thing about the beginning of the movie is that Clint Eastwood only has 2 lines of dialogue for the entire 35 minutes. I don't understand why he didn't cut them out and remain silent, which would give the film a peculiar edge.

Washington DC -1990s. Luther Whitney, reputed one the very best thieves of the country but supposedly retired, is in the process of executing his greatest robbery –the private vault of a powerful billionaire, Walter Sullivan. But he is disturbed by the billionaire's young wife. Christy takes advantage of her husband's absence to receive her lover –the US President himself. President Richmond is a sick pervert, and the love affair turns sour. In front of hidden Whitney, the lady is murdered. Before escaping, Whitney secures the murder weapon, but he will need all his experience and skills to manipulate the secret services and the very competent police investigator Seth Frank. Not only must he protect himself but also his estranged daughter Kate. Not to worry however –Luther Whitney is Clint Eastwood, after all! And since the suspense in this respect is minimal, we can just relax and enjoy watching one of our coolest supermen smoothly make his way through a nicely structured scenario. Although the action itself is ageless, one sign definitely links the movie to the 90s –the blatant lack of respect for the person of the US President and the undisguised criticism of political corruption. Maybe a way to exorcise the scandals that have been plaguing the White House over the last decades

When expert thief Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) breaks into the luxurious mansion of a politically influential billionaire (E.G. Marshall) , he is surprised by the arrival of a couple (Gene Hackman , Melora Hardin) . After their drunken shenanigans turn nasty that leads to crime and taking place a set-up in which everyone around him is involved . There is only one witness , an ultra-secretive master burglar . Luther is soon pursued by two cops (Ed Harris , Penny Johnson) , a hit man (Richard Jenkins) and the President security guards (Dennys Haysbert , Scott Glenn).

This is a light thriller in Hitchcockian style including action , suspense , thrills , improbable events and twisted intrigue . It is about the ruthlessness of people in power but the plot lacks even a political analysis or comment . This Eastwood film is solid but nothing really stick out . It is hard to take against contemporary time , as portraying a coward , cynical , traitor President , being politically incorrect for Hollywood standards . In addition , it contains some unlikely scenes as when the silly dancing between President/Gene Hackman and his cabinet chief/Judy Davis who wears a robbed necklace . Based on the novel by David Baldacci , being screen-writer the notorious William Goldman , who wrote such important successes as Marathon man , Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid , All the President's Men , The princess bride , Misery , among others . This Absolute power (1997) was well-received as well as the subsequently shot Space Cowboys ; however , both of them don't rank with Clint's best jobs as actor/filmmaker . Adequate Clint Eastwood in his ordinary stoic acting as a professional burglar who witnesses both a crime and a cover-up . Nice acting by Gene Hackman as a philander President believes that everything he does is beyond reproach . Support cast is frankly well such as Laura Linney , Melora Hardin , Kenneth Welsh , Mark Margolis, Penny Johnson , Richard Jenkins and cameo of Alison Eastwood , Clint's daughter . Furthermore , the picture displays an atmospheric and sensitive musical score by means of piano composed and performed by Lennie Niehaus , Eastwood's usual . Colorful cinematography by Jack N. Green filmed on location in Washington and Los Angeles .

The film was professionally performed and directed by Clint Eastwood . It has some flaws and gaps ; but it's nevertheless solidly agreeable . The picture is far from his other big hits such as his first directed western , Unforgiven (1992) also with Gene Hackman , which garnered him an Oscar for Best Director, and a nomination for Best Actor . Then he took on the secret service in Open fire (1993), which was a success , followed by the interesting but poorly received drama , A perfect world (1993), with Kevin Costner as a thief . Next up was a love story , Bridges of Madison (1995), which was yet again a hit . Subsequent pictures were enjoyable but nothing to do with previous works . Among them were the and the badly received True crime (1999) and Blood work (2002) . Then in 2004, Eastwood surprised yet again when he produced, directed and starred in Million Dollar Baby (2004). The movie earned Eastwood an Oscar for Best Director and a Best Actor nomination for the second time . He had other successes directing the multi-award-winning films Mystic River (2003), Flags of our fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), and The changeling (2008) . After a four-year hiatus from acting, Eastwood's return to the screen in the successful Gran Torino (2008) .

HIGHS--

A very fun plot. Gene Hackman could vilify Ghandi given the right lines. Clint Eastwood as a high-stakes jewel thief?? I'm in heaven. Soft, subtle score; typical of modern Eastwood films. Intense finale that has you rooting for the bad guys, or is it the good guys?? You decide. E. G. Marshall's version of a scorned billionaire is a wonderful turn.

LOWS--

I have not read Baldacci's novel this is based upon. But I have to think, Clint Eastwood was not who he had in mind for the elusive cat burglar Luther Whitney. That casting was probably a little too self-serving. Also, I did enjoy the plot. But maybe a touch of more believability would have been nice. The murder scene at the beginning, while necessary for the remainder, may be a touch too implausible for my taste.

PARTING IMPRESSION--

Solid entertainment. This rating denotes that. Sure, won't win any Oscars, but that's not why you really want to see a film like this. We all root for these high stakes take-the-money-and-run type finales and here we are satiated in the chicanery, the likes of which could only emanate from D.C. Seven out of ten.

Luther Whitney is a professional thief, he also happens to be exceptional at it. During a carefully planned burglary at the home of wealthy Walter Sullivan, Whitney is disturbed to hear voices coming from outside the room he is in. Hiding in a secret room he observes from behind a two-way mirror the cheating wife of Sullivan with her lover for the night. Whitney is further startled to find that the man in the company of Mrs Sullivan is none other than the current president of the United States, Allen Richmond. He is then horrified to witness the couples union getting out of control, Richmond starting to get far too heavy handed with the lady in question. Things spiral out of control and during the fight Mrs Sullivan goes to stab the President with a paper knife, thus giving the entering secret service agents no choice but to gun her down. Sensing a political scandal, the agents and Richmond's Chief Of Staff, Gloria Russell decide to cover the incident up. Whitney, after making his escape, doesn't know what to do, who's going to believe a renowned thief, but crucially, will he be allowed to live if he comes forward? Dastardly goings on and government cover ups are merely part of what is going on in the search for Absolute Power.

Absolute Power is a fine film, but I'm a little biased because I really like the pacing of the picture and more importantly, I like the plot. It's true that the film fails to capitalise on its first hour set up, we are brought into Whitney's world and given reminders of dodgy doings that blight so many countries political machinations, but then director Clint Eastwood and his team fall in to the trap of adding strands that merely alter the viewers attention span, thus taking us away from what was a concrete and wholly engrossing plot arc. But with a truly diamond cast of professionals in the piece, the film manages to stay the good side of good, tho the ending is one that is sure to be a divisive one for any prospective first time viewers. Eastwood stars as Whitney and is joined by Gene Hackman (President Allen Richmond), Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert, Judy Davis and E.G. Marshall. William Goldman adapts from David Baldacci's popular novel, and Eastwood's direction is the usual steady professional job that he would further enhance down the line with the likes of Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby.

Should have been a truly great political based thriller/drama, but as it is, I settle for it being a way above average one that has far too many good points to ever see it as being below average or bad. 7/10