Absolute Power

Name: Absolute Power
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: February 14, 1997
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 52
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Ed Harris, Gene Hackman

1997

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	Your Score
6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Ratings

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ABSOLUTE POWER

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: February 14, 1997

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Ed Harris, Gene Hackman

Summary: He was where he shouldn't have been, saw what he shouldn't have seen. But who'll believe the word of a career thief and ex-con (Eastwood) when he says he saw a woman killed -- and that the man responsible is the President of the United States? (Warner Bros)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 121 min

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Awards & Rankings

99	#99 Best Movie of 1997
68	#68 Most Discussed Movie of 1997
69	#69 Most Shared Movie of 1997

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

San Francisco Chronicle - Mick LaSalle

A first-rate thriller about arrogance at the top. Read full review

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert

A tight, taut thriller with a twist. Read full review

ReelViews - James Berardinelli

A fairly routine thriller that gets high marks as a result of tight pacing and top-notch acting. Read full review

The New Republic - Stanley Kauffmann

Flies into the improbable at its big moments. [17 Mar 1997, p. 28]

Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman

Glum and depersonalized, as if Eastwood couldn't muster the energy to guide us through this maze of improbable twists. [14 Feb 1997, p. 39]

USA Today - Mike Clark

Eastwood gutsily stages the extended opening slowly and methodically... [But u]nintentional yuks litter an otherwise somber political thriller adapted from David Baldacci's novel.

Washington Post - Rita Kempley

Promises to speed up the pacemakers of grumpy old Republicans with its ruthless indictment of the unzipped presidency. Read full review

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User Reviews

MovieGuys

Mar 22, 2014

Absolute Power is a marginal film, but only sporadically good. Certain scenes are riveting, while others fall flat. Overall, the movie just hits the green.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

PatC.

Sep 1, 2005

Unusual premise, good drama in the one-way mirror scene, but eventually the film just drags and is unenlightened and predictable.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Compi24

Dec 13, 2017

This 19th addition to the catalog of Clint-Eastwood-directed features starts out the gate with a wallop of an inciting incident, furthers itself with a nowhere-near-as-effective, yet still understandable first act turning point, plods along throughout its second act, and finally fizzles outThis 19th addition to the catalog of Clint-Eastwood-directed features starts out the gate with a wallop of an inciting incident, furthers itself with a nowhere-near-as-effective, yet still understandable first act turning point, plods along throughout its second act, and finally fizzles out during a woefully anti-climactic finish. Indeed, "Absolute Power" may boast the impressive likes of Eastwood in the director's chair and the eminently great William Goldman behind the typewriter, but what comes of all that is just a fairly pedestrian thriller with a couple cool moments to it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Jan 14, 2017

A intervalles réguliers, Papy Clint nous sort des comédies bien ridicules, souvent involontaires comme Firefox par exemple... ou bien le Maître de Guerre : quoique à ces niveaux "très élevés", on peut se demander -tout de même- comment de telles satires pourraient être "involontaires" !A intervalles réguliers, Papy Clint nous sort des comédies bien ridicules, souvent involontaires comme Firefox par exemple... ou bien le Maître de Guerre : quoique à ces niveaux "très élevés", on peut se demander -tout de même- comment de telles satires pourraient être "involontaires" !

Bref, j'ai comme l'impression que Papy est un sacré pince-sans-rire du genre "j'ai fait un film trop con, je me bidonnais de rire à chaque scène mais sinon c'est très sérieux". Et "Les Pleins Pouvoirs" rentre dans cette catégorie à l'aise : le prince des voleurs (Clint Robin des Bois ou Clint Ali baba ?) bientôt à la retraite, va donner une fessée au Chef du Monde Libre, parce que même le Président américain, il a pas le droit d'être méchant, sinon il est puni par Tonton Clint lui-même !

On a donc compris, pas la peine de nous faire un dessin, c'est très con et très premier degré, tout comme ce bon vieux Clint peut l'être terriblement parfois : très con et très premier dégré. Dommage pour Gene Hackman toujours brillant, même dans des films pareils ! mais toute la distribution et tout le scénario guignolesque à souhait ne sont là que pour faire valoir notre grand et merveilleux Papy Clint, justicier... si on tient jusque là parce que putain il se fait tard.… Expand

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