Right out of the gate, you have to accept the premise of this film if you want to afford it any kind of credibility. It's a fairly compelling story right up until the point where we find out that Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman) is the President of the United States. The same President who accompanies the wife of an important political backer to her home for the purpose of carrying on an extramarital affair. I mean really, what President would have the wherewithal to conduct a private liaison like that when virtually every minute of his day is scheduled and recorded? Who did Hackman think he is, Bill Clinton?Now if you removed the character of the President as villain, this would have worked a whole lot better. Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) could have found himself in the same series of predicaments and it would have appeared a lot more credible. There was however his relationship with daughter Kate (Laura Linney) that suggested a question mark for this viewer. With Kate admitting she wanted nothing to do with her father, and hadn't seen him in a year before he made contact again, how was it that she happened to have his phone number handy? Not saying it was impossible, but her face to face denunciation of Luther seemed to suggest that she would have kept him entirely at arm's length with no intention of ever communicating with him.I thought the ending was just a bit too stand pat as well. In his press conference, Walter Sullivan (E.G. Marshall) claims that the despondent President committed suicide by stabbing himself!!! With no witnesses!!! In a closed room with only the two of them face to face!!! And there didn't seem to be a hint of suspicion by anyone about the credibility of that story. Best thing folks, is to leave your brain at the door with this one and just roll with the action. It's actually not as bad as the way I made it sound here, but you have to suspend disbelief in a major way on the way to the finish line.

Eastwood stars as an aging thief that breaks into a mansion to steal from a safe, and accidentally witnesses President Gene Hackman engaging in rough sex with a woman that the Secret Service end up killing. White House Chief of Staff Judy Davis tries to disguise the crime scene as a robbery, but Eastwood makes off with a key piece of evidence. The whole thing plays out like a very silly thriller with Eastwood dodging the Secret Service and investigating detective Ed Harris while simultaneously trying to reconcile with estranged daughter Laura Linney. This is a pretty dumb film that happens to have a fairly amazing cast (Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert, E.G. Marshall and Richard Jenkins also show up), probably because of Eastwood's involvement. They don't manage to make the ridiculous plot any better, but they make the film more watchable than it has any right to be.

After reading David Baldacci's "Absolute Power", I was really looking forward to seeing the film.However it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the book. No Jack Graham AT ALL, in fact non of the legal team get a mention, which was one of the best bits of the book.The sex/rape/fight/murder scene at the beginning is pathetic! Luther doesn't get killed!!, central to the book story line! Typical American - Hollywood rubbish.If Hollywood feels the American audience cannot or will not take hard, gritty and sometimes not pleasant viewing/story lines, then stop making films, especially ones that ruin great books!! Absolute Power? ABSOLUTE RUBBISH!!

***SPOILERS*** It's when master Jewel thief Luther Whitney, Clint Eastwood,brakes into billion dollar philanthropist and political king maker Walter Sullivan's ,E.G Marshell Virginia mansion that he ends up becoming a witness to a murder that if exposed can shake the very foundations of power in the US Government! Hiding in a secret vault in the mansion Luther watches the President of the United States Allen Richmond, Gene Hackman, almost dead drunk getting rough and violent with the lady of the house Christy Sullivan, Melora Hardin, whom he's been having an affair with behind her husband's back from the last few months.With things getting out of hand and Christy getting the best of the drunken slob and about to run him through with a letter opener the secret service agents Bill Burton & Tim Collins, Scott Glenn & Dennis Haysbert, comes to Pres. Richmond's rescue and blast her away before she can do any damage! Luther who witnessed the entire spectacle, behind a two way mirror, checks out but takes with him the bloody letter opener that Agent Collins left that can tie Pres. Richmond to Christy Sullivan's murder! Instead of just laying low and forgetting about the whole thing, Christy Sullivan's murder, Luther takes it upon himself to bring the most powerful man in the world President Allen Richmond to the bar of justice which not only jeopardized his life but that of his estranged daughter Kate, Laura Linney, as well. It's then that the film takes a turn to the worst or unbelievable with Luther using his skills of disguise as well as intimidation to take on the entire power structure of the United States Government with the government from President Richmond on down seemingly powerless to stop him. A feat that even super cop "Dirty Harry" Calahan couldn't do!Clint Eastwood who's in his late 60's has trouble convincing the audience that he's at least 30 years younger in the action scenes that he's he's in. Eastwood also jokes about his age in telling the cop in charge of investigating the Christy Sullivan murder Seath Frank, Ed Harris,that he has to have his pacemaker checked out in all the pressure that Frank is putting on him in being a suspect in Mrs. Sullivan's murder. Yet Eastwood,or his stunt double, preforms action stunts that even an Olympic gold medalist gymnast would have trouble duplicating!***SPOILERS*** The end of the movie spears the audience the bloody details of the dramatic encounter, arranged by Luther Whitney, between Walter Sullivan and his best friend ,who he helped put in office, President Allen Richmond. That in Sullivan finding out that Richmond not only had an affair with his wife but also had her murdered to keep her mouth shut! As for Richmond's chief of staff dragon lady Gloria Russell, Judy Davis, who tried to cover up the whole bloody mess as well as tried to shut Luther up, by having him killed, she ends up getting all that's coming to her. Which we can't say for the actual killers of Christy Sullivan Burton & Collins who took, or in the case of Collins got, the easy way out by never having to be put on trial from what they did! Luther Whitney made certain of that!