Absence of Malice
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Movie Reviews of Absence of Malice
Movie Review: The Sly Fox Gets Revenge
Summary: 4 Stars
If you enjoy watching films in which arrogant people get their comeuppance, you might enjoy this one.
Paul Newman deftly shows how an astute, calculating "avenger" can turn the tables on those who have hurt his business and a dear friend. Sally Fields gives a credible performance as a self-absorbed, "champion of truth" journalist who's oblivious to the impact of her stories on people's lives and livelihood. Wilford Brimley is at his best when he "reads the riot act" to each one of the "culprits" in the climactic confrontation scene, and, in doing so, ties together the loose ends of the film's storyline.
While the movie lacks the action (and pace) of many popular films today, it rewards the thoughtful, patient viewer who appreciates watching a carefully executed revenge. It's one of my all-time favorites. I've seen this film about a half dozen times over a period of years and still enjoy it as much today as I did when I first saw it on the big screen.
Movie Review: Presence of Talent
Summary: 4 Stars
A very talented lineup for a great movie and storyline. Paul Newman, Sally Field, Melinda Dillon, Wilford Brimley and a delightfully slimy Bob Balaban top the roster in this head on assault of newsreporting and responsibility. Newman plays the son trying to get past his criminal father's reputation. Balaban is the field operative trying to break an old case involving the disappearance of a labor organizer and uses eager beaver reporter Fields to try to flush out information. Dillon is the lifelong friend of Newman who gets innocently caught in the crossfire and when this happens Newman sets a plan in motion to make everyone pay.
The performance by Wilford Brimley alone is worth the price of admission as the U.S. Attorney sent to Miami "to find out what in the Good Christ - excuse me Angie - is going on...". Priceless.
Not a perfect movie but it will definitely hold your interest. This one is a PLAY!
Movie Review: The fourth estate running amuck
Summary: 4 Stars
A newspaper reporter (Sally Field) does a story on what appears to be a federal strike force investigation of a man (Paul Newman) who once had ties with the Mafia. Only it's not true, and after the published story has dire affects on Newman's life, he seeks revenge. The theme is about the responsibility the press has to not just print anything it wants and use words like "alleged" and "sources said" to protect itself. Newman does an excellent job, as usual, though Field is not strong enough as an actress to do her part very well. The very end (after Newman has made monkeys out of Field and others on the paper) is a bummer, too, with Newman picking up stakes and moving on, as if this little episode was all he had to do in Miami, the movie's setting: hero riding off into the sunset syndrome here. The movie presents a good, complex story, though - well paced and, except for Field, well acted by all involved. Definitely worth a watch.Movie Review: REVENGE WITHOUT BULLETS
Summary: 4 Stars
When you watch the theatrical trailer of ABSENCE OF MALICE, you are lead to think that this movie describes Paul Newman's revenge and will contain a lot of violent scenes. This is not true. In fact, has a trailer ever described accurately a movie ?ABSENCE OF MALICE is, in the first place, an "actor" movie, with two stars of 1981 : Paul Newman and Sally Field. The secondary roles are also well written and interesting. The movie belongs to the category of moral movies and tries to defend these two ideas :
- Things and people are not always what or who they seem to be.
- The newspapers should have the duty to verify their sources before printing anything.
The treatment of the subject is well done, the screenplay being sometimes too weak. But Sydney Pollack, with this material, was able to present a conventional but still watchable movie.
A DVD zone moral education
Movie Review: An enjoyable revenge and justice tale...
Summary: 4 Stars
Paul and Sally are both fine in this suspense drama, in which an unethical prosecutor unfairly uses both of the stars to achieve progress in an important case. Paul and Sally are attracted to each other, but when Paul's character needs to teach the prosecutor a lesson, he sacrifices Sally's job to accomplish his own vindication. It's just good entertainment, within a plot that shows the dark sides of the justice system and big media.