Don't mess with Clint.

Throughout his entire career, that has been the one, steadfast rule in any Clint Eastwood movie. Anyone who messed with Clint in a Dirty Harry movie or a Spaghetti Western paid the price. Mess with Clint in In the Line of Fire, you'll fall out of a glass elevator to your grisly and untimely death. Mess with Clint in Bridges of Madison County, he'll sleep with your wife.

The pattern continues in his newest self-propelled vehicle, Absolute Power.

This time he plays a really old cat burglar who witnesses a murder involving some very important people and gets involved in a governmental cover-up. So in its own way, it's a lot like the Madison County movie. Well maybe not.

The cast is filled with stellar names, Gene Hackman, Judy Davis, Ed Harris, Laura Linney Scott Glenn. Some of them do well, some don't. I won't tell you which is which, you'll just have to figure it out for yourself. Except Clint, he's the man. He's always the man. I fact, as he watches the opening murder scene, he gives some absolutely priceless expressions without ever saying a word. He's so cool.

The thing about this movie is, it's not the movie it says it is. It ain't a big action-suspense thriller, it's an intellectual cat and mouse game. I mean there's no mystery as to who's to blame, you see it happen in the first scene, instead there's a battle of wills and intellect that drives the movie at a leisurely pace, a lot like Driving Miss Daisy.

For my money, I'd bet that being in a Clint Eastwood directed movie would be just so money. If you don't like his direction he probably just stares at you until you see the wisdom of his ways.

"Clint, I don't think my character would jump in front of the bus like that."

"No?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess he would, in fact let's not even use the stunt guy, I'll jump in front of it myself. And maybe we shouldn't stop the bus at all and let it run over me, you know, for realism."

"I like it."

In general, this is a good movie. The script is peppered with humor and wit and, aside from one scene in a limo, is rather solid. Although that scene stands out as cheesy and straight out of a bad Earnest Saves Whatever movie. In truth, the kids will be bored stiff, I mean MTV it ain't, so you should drop them of at That Darn Cat, or if you're above abject cruelty, let 'em to see Star Wars for the 137th time. But for the adults, or those wishing to become adults in the near future, this movie's got it going on.

I give Absolute Power 3 Babylons. There have been better movies out, there will be more better movies out, but this is not a waste of money. In fact, if you love Clint like I love a good jelly doughnut, then you will want to see this flick.

Just don't mess with Clint.

Editor's Note:

Hi. I don't have anything to say, but I'm required by law to throw in a note at the end if I want to keep my job.

So hi. How you doing? Seen any good films lately? Passed on our mailing list to anyone lately? Why not? We can't take over the world without your help.

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