Review of Absolute Power (1997) by Andrew M — 01 Feb 2010

An entertaining film that delivers a strong opening act, but then slowly stumbles into a routine political thriller. Metaphorically speaking; it's like a rocky plane ride that begins with a gripping take-off, and then slowly levels out at midpoint before landing on autopilot.

Clint Eastwood always has, and always will be, the master of his technique, but his options are very limited here. There are a handful of cool segments in which we see a close-up angle on the set, as well as a few lengthy sequences with little to no dialogue. And even when the dialogue is at a high note, the real payoff to 'Absolute Power' is the way it uses almost no action to create a thrilling atmosphere.