Starring in the movie Absolute Power (1997) wasn’t enough for Clint Eastwood, who produced and directed the movie based on the 1996 David Baldacci novel also named Absolute Power. This crime drama is filled with action and political intrigue involving the United States president, a billionaire, a master thief and what happens when those elements collide.
Absolute Power opens with master thief Luther Whitney having broken into the Washington DC area mansion of billionaire Walter Sullivan to steal, at minimum, from the bedroom vault of the man portrayed by E.G. Marshall. Whitney, as portrayed by Clint Eastwood, finds himself forced to hide in the bedroom vault with one-way mirror of the Virginia mansion when Christy Sullivan returns to the bedroom on a drunken rendezvous with inebriated U.S. President Alan Richmond. Whitney watches as Richmond becomes sexually violent towards Sullivan, with Sullivan wounding the president with a letter opener in self-defense. Melora Hardin and Gene Hackman portrayed Christy Sullivan and President Richmond, respectively.
U.S. Secret Service agents Bill Burton and Tim Collin burst in when the president screams out in distress. Christy Sullivan is fatally shot when Burton and Collin, respectively portrayed by Scott Glenn and Dennis Haysbert, see Sullivan poised to stab Alan Richmond a second time. Presidential Chief of Staff Gloria Russell, as portrayed by Judy Davis, arrives to guide the secret service agents in staging the scene to look like a burglary gone wrong. Whitney goes undiscovered through much of this staging, not being discovered until making what turns out to be a successful escape from the scene of the crimes.
Portrayed by Ed Harris, Detective Seth Frank leads the police investigation into the Christy Sullivan death that had been staged to look like a burglary gone wrong. Whitney becomes a prime suspect in the investigation, which brings Luther Whitney’s estranged daughter Kate Whitney, as portrayed by Laura Linney, into the storyline.
Luther Whitney had a mind to flee the country in the aftermath of his escape from the Sullivan mansion. Becoming angry when seeing Alan Richmond offer an expression of empathy to Walter Sullivan following Christy Sullivan’s death that points to the cover-up, Luther Whitney changes course to one of proving the duplicity of Alan Richmond to Walter Sullivan. The portrayal of that, combined with the motivations and actions underpinning Richmond, Walter Sullivan, Bill Burton, Tim Collin, Michael McCarty as portrayed by Richard Jenkins, and others, offer a compelling line of intrigue and tension around how the competing end games will work themselves out.
William Goldman proved a capable screenwriter in adapting Absolute Power for the movies. The ride offered intrigue, suspense and emotional stakes to allow me to recommend this movie for viewing. I give Absolute Power as directed and produced by Clint Eastwood 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.
Matt – Saturday, December 9, 2023
Matt Lynn Digital 