Clint Creates ‘Absolute’ Entertainment

Sometimes it seems filmmaking is a lost art. Suspense thriller after suspense thriller comes out, grosses millions of dollars and has no quality beyond that of the special effects and fake blood.

“Absolute Power” is the exact opposite.

While still managing to keep the audience of the edge of its seat, and keep the suspense at a feverish level, “Power” shows some respect for the art form and doesn’t do a single thing cheaply.

Another unique feature of this film is its character development. I can’t count the number of times a thriller has fallen flat on its face simply because the viewer doesn’t care at all about the main character. In this film, director and actor Clint Eastwood makes the main character (played by himself) likable and well-enough developed to matter.

The plot of “Power” doesn’t sound too complex, but there are many minor twists and turns that make it extremely intricate.

A master thief, Luther Whitney (Eastwood), is robbing a vault when he witnesses a fight between the president and his mistress. He later sees the subsequent murder of the mistress by two Secret Service agents and makes off with the murder weapon.

The White House chief of staff in charge of the cover-up is very concerned about the missing piece of evidence and even more so when he receives a picture of the weapon with a note on the back saying that Whitney doesn’t want money.

To give away any more of the plot would be a sin - surprises start early on in the film and don’t stop until the very end.

Eastwood, as usual, is excellent, both in his lead role and throughout his direction. He proves that filmmaking is not completely lost as an art and that this genre - rarely taken seriously - should be treated with respect.

Another noteworthy performance comes from Laura Linney, as Eastwood’s estranged daughter. Her character is overdone and extremely stereotyped, but her performance, coupled with the excellent script, makes the ending that much more enjoyable.

When I think of “Absolute Power,” I’m reminded of “Diabolique” and “Broken Arrow.” While they are both very different movies and definitely separate from “Power,” they have the same kind of mood and the same kind of enjoyment behind them.

All three movies are extremely suspenseful, have nothing close to a stereotypical ending and, simply, are a lot of fun.

Fun is the key word when examining “Absolute Power.” The interaction between characters is amusing and carefully measured. And the plot is worth at least a second thought, if not several more.

Grade: A