This is a pro-choice TV movie. The "absolute strangers" of the title aretwo intruding pro-life politicos who try to gain control of Klein’s wifeand/or the fetus to prevent an abortion that might save her life. Boththelifers and the choicers try to use helpless Nancy Klein to further theiragendas. Marty Klein fights against that. His only concern is for hiswife. He believes that the birth may kill his wife, and he has twohistorical cases to support his view, cases in which both comatose mothersdied giving birth.

The issue is real. The war is real. The spin here is clearly on the sideof pro-choice. Strange but I found myself divided. I’ve alwaysconsideredabortion not an issue that I want to get involved in; indeed I believe itisnot an issue that can be decided "in general." I think every single caseisunique and individual. I would only venture an opinion on a specific casethat was my responsibility. I abhor the tactics and the self-righteousstupidity of the pro-lifers, but I also think abortion ought to be theinstrument of last choice. Here the real question is does the pregnancyandthe trauma of birth endanger the woman’s life?

Director Gilbert Gates presents the evidence and the legal issues and thepolitics in a clear and comprehensive manner. Still, what is right is notclear. Perhaps it is only my perception, but the film seemed to suggestthat Nancy Klein would never regain consciousness whether she gave birthornot. Perhaps the real issue of the film is who is to make the decision toabort or not, the husband or the state or some third party? That issuewasresolved. Whether the right decision on abortion was made will never beknown.

Karl Malden, not looking more than a decade or two older than I rememberhimin A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), is genuine in a supporting role asNancyKlein’s father, and Audra Lindley (Helen Roper from TV’s "Three’s Company"and "The Ropers") is excellent as the mother. Patty Duke is a little tooearnest and listens a little too well to be a real judge, but then maybenot: this was undoubtedly a big case.

Gates is to be commended for presenting the story in a fashion thatneithersensationalizes nor euphemizes the gruesome dilemma that Marty Kleinfaced.

Cassy Friel as the little girl is adorable.

It’s a little like "The Petrified Forest." That holds up pretty wellbut is very stagy. And it’s a little like "Key Largo," which no one isgoing to fault.

Lionel Atwill is a manipulator who tries to have the husband of a womanhe’s attracted to crash his plane. At the same time, he will be takingcare of an ex-girlfriend, an actress he has ostensibly sent toHollywood in that same plane. Her boyfriend, Louis Hayward, a fadingmovie star, is also on the plane, as is the governor of the state.Atwill has it in for him.

The plane crashes at his house in the country, where he is ostensiblytaking in the eponymous rest.

Add t to this mix a reporter who wants the story. (A rather pudgylooking Stuart Erwin is good in this role.) And a Bonnie and Clyde duoon the lam. Their names are Jack and Judy. Or, their name (as they wereoriginally a vaudeville team) IS Jack and Judy.

All this, as well as a couple minor players, in one house! This doesn’tcome across as a formulaic programmer. It has plenty of tension. Theonly aspect that bothered me was Jack’s slang: Over and over, insteadof saying "OK," he says "Oke." Slang can really date a movie. But thisone holds up very well indeed, in spite of that one small annoyance.

2) Absolute Quiet seems a strange side assignment for the director of theAndyHardy series, George B. Seitz and his sometime cinematographer LesterWhite.The actors were probably B-movie favorites to moviegoers in the 30s, butaside from Atwill and Stu Erwin most are long forgotten now. Familiarfaceseverywhere, nonetheless, in this odd little MGM picture with Atwill in thelead, supported by Lewis Hayward in a minor and atypical role. One canalmost imagine an A-picture cast instead: if MGM had gotten Bette Davisforthe Irene Hervey role and Cagney for Wallace Ford.

Atwill is great as always, one of the most underrated actors of the GoldenEra, and Bernadene Hayes steals the film half way through as theVaudevillehoofer turned gun moll.

I’ll bet it was fun to make this one.

3) Absolute Quiet (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Semi-rip of The Petrified Forest has a plane full of people crashlanding on the field of a man (Lionel Atwill) being held captive by acouple robbers. There are a few good laughs here but the direction isso strange that it's hard to really get caught up in the film. There'svery little suspense in the movie but there are a couple nice laughs,which help the movie move along. Wallace Ford playing the tough guy wasa bit hard to believe and led to several unintentional laughs. J.Carroll Naish and Irene Harvey turn in good performances as doesAtwill.

4) This movie is like two or three movie plots all spliced together–andin my eyes, this isn't done in the most successful manner. First,Lionel Atwill orders an up and coming actress to travel to Hollywoodwith a fading actor. Almost as soon as these two leave, Atwill has aheart attack or something like it and is ordered to take complete restin the country. He invites along his secretary as his nursemaid and thestage appears to be set for romance at Atwill's country home.

However, then it starts to get VERY strange. It seems that Atwill'sranch has a runway with lights and a beacon–very posh indeed. And, itjust so happens that BOTH a Bonnie and Clyde style couple are seennearby and are being chased by the police AND a plane is about to crashbecause it's almost out of fuel and the only place it can land is atAtwill's landing field!! Talk about ridiculous! Now the Bonnie andClyde-style couple is an interesting idea I suppose but Wallace Ford isgiven horrible lines by the writers. In particular, he says "oke"(pronounced like "oak") about three dozen times when he means to say"okay". After a short time, my teeth began to grind every time he saidthis!! In addition to these creeps, once the plane crashes, thesurvivors all come into the ranch house and the whole thing plays outlike a stage production–with almost all the action happening in oneclaustrophobia-inducing room. While interesting at times (especially atthe thrilling conclusion), the whole thing seems ridiculous, veryfar-fetched and poorly written–as if desperately needing a massivere-write. Not a great film by any standard, but there were a few goodscenes here and there that might hold your interest.

Why, oh why, did Wallce Ford need to say "oke" again and again andagain–it will probably haunt me for some time to come and I'll startavoiding his films!

5) The top billed stars in Absolute Quiet are Lionel Atwill as GeraldAxton (Atwill appeared in many murder mysteries and horror films) andIrene Hervey as Laura Tait (Destry Rides Again), but the real starshere are reporter Oscar Rudd (played by Stuart Erwin) and a politicalbigshot played by Raymond Walburn. Two crooks on the run interfere withan airplane trying to land, but things are complicated because thereare political bigshots and reporters on that airplane. Viewers willalso see character actor Edwin Maxwell from His Girl Friday, Shoparound the Corner, and Cecil DeMille's Cleopatra. Director George Seitzhad been writing and directing in Hollywood since 1914, for the silentfilms. Original story by George Worts. Fun suspense thriller; most ofit takes place in one room, so it has the feel of a play, but makes asophisticated entertaining film.

6) This minor movie is worth watching but a bit corny by modern standards. Ithas a funny scipt and it is well acted by its little knowncast.It is kind of hard boiled and cynical. It is a send up of American politicsand society of the time when the film was made, and it gives someperspective for the present day.

2):
Luther Whitney is a professional thief, who only works occasionally. He is planning what is suppose to be his last job, and everything is going smoothly until some come in before he can leave. He hides in a secret room and from behind a one-way mirror sees that it’s the wife of the owner of the house he is robbing and another man. They are fooling around when the guy decides to liven things up by striking her, she get away but he corners her, she then grabs a letter opener and is about to stab him when he cries out for help when two men come in and shoot her dead. It seems that the man is Alan Richmond, the President of the United States and the two men are the secret service agents assigned to him. Later, a woman, Gloria Russell, who is his Chief of Staff enters and upon learning of what has happened, decides to cover it up and make it appear that she was killed by a burglar. After sanitizing the room, they are about to leave but they forget the letter opener, Whitney comes out of the room and takes it and makes his getaway but when they returned for the letter opener they discover Whitney and chase him but he gets away. The police investigate the murder and there are so many inconsistencies, which makes the investigator, Seth Frank suspect that something is going on. Frank then discovers that Whitney is a possible suspect but the only thing is that he doesn’t believe that Whitney is a killer. Whitney tries to leave town but when he learns just how corrupt and amoral Richmond is he decides to play mind games with him and the others. Richmond, at the same time, tells them that Whitney must be silenced permanently.

• This adaptation of David Baldacci’s novel omits the novel’s hero: Jack Graham, a lawyer and good friend of both Luther and Kate Whitney. In the novel, he outlives Luther and carries on the battle to clear Luther’s name of the murder charge.
• The team that scores a touchdown in the game that Clint Eastwood watches is James Madison University.
• Gene Hackman plays the President of the United States and E.G. Marshall co-stars. In Superman II (1980), Marshall played the President and Hackman co-starred.
• At the Cafe Alonzo, when policeman Seth Frank (Ed Harris) and Secret Service agent Bill Burton (Scott Glenn) are standing inside a building foyer, a plaque on the door of the foyer reads “This Week Only: Carol Glenn Watercolor Exhibition”. Carol Glenn is an artist and Scott Glenn’s wife of many years. Some of her watercolors can just be glimpsed.
• The house in the beginning of the film is actually a real castle in Brooklandville, Maryland. It belongs to Maryvale Preparatory school. Classes are held inside, as well as some administration and offices. The carpet and the painting seen hanging were left in the Castle after filming was finished.
• The hospital scenes were filmed using the set for "ER" (1994).
• E.G. Marshall’s final appearance in a theatrical film.
• Clint Eastwood’s extremely organized methods of directing led to filming being completed over three weeks ahead of schedule and $2-4 million under budget.
• Luther at one point says “I *love* True Crime.”. Clint Eastwood’s next film was True Crime (1999).

• Continuity: The headline in the Washington Times reads “Jewel Thief Sought”, yet the text of the article is about congressional hearings.
• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: As Richmond attacks Christy Sullivan at the beginning of the movie, he rips her dress. While her dress is intact later, this may have been part of the damage control by his team.
• Continuity: When Luther drives Walter Sullivan to the White House at the end of the movie, the car’s windshield is dry when seen from outside, but wet when seen from inside.

• Revealing mistakes: While Leland is making a telephone call the line is ringing, but he is still dialing numbers.
• Factual errors: When Luther opens his safe, he doesn’t make enough stops on the dial. After he closes the safe, he turns the handle, but fails to spin the dial, effectively leaving the safe unlocked.
• Revealing mistakes: When Luther is in the airport bar watching the president and Mr. Sullivan on TV the cable TV jack can be seen to the left. The jack is empty, with no cable TV wire attached to it.
• Revealing mistakes: When Luther puts the VCR tape in the machine it is at the end of the tape, but he plays it without rewinding.
• Crew or equipment visible: When Burton and Collin are chasing Whitney through the woods, a shadow of the camera is visible in the trees behind them.
• Continuity: After Christi has been shot and the agents are in the room conspiring for the cover-up, Richmond is shown on the left side of the bed where he drops the letter opener. Subsequent frames show him on the right side of the bed, then again on the left side of the bed.
• Revealing mistakes: When the Special Agents of the US Secret Service are attempting to push Kate off the cliff, the license plates on the suburban are Washington, DC Official Plates. Normally, the Secret Service would be operating a vehicle with US Government plates if it is an official vehicle or regular plates if they were undercover.
• Continuity: When Seth Frank leaves Kate Whitney’s room he urges her to lock the door behind him, which she does. Moments later, when Luther Whitney leaves, the chain is unlocked.
• Anachronisms: In the pictures of Luther’s daughter with her mother, she is shown to be wearing fairly modern disposable diapers however in reality, when she was a toddler she would have been wearing cloth diapers with rubber pants; disposable diapers were a new invention in the 60s (approx when the child was that age).
• Crew or equipment visible: When the Special Agents of the US Secret Service are pushing Kate off the cliff, a mechanical device is seen clearly pushing the car over the cliff.
• Plot holes: When Luther breaks in the mansion, he disables the security alarm. The president, Kristy Sullivan and the secret service arrive while Luther is still inside, yet no one is suspicious of the disabled security alarm.

Absolute Power also involved a compelling scenario – Eastwood, a masterthief, has staked out Marshall’s house and is pulling a third story jobinvolving a vault full of diamonds and money, when Marshall’s wife andthe president of the United States waltz into the bedroom intoxicatedand frisky. Things get a little rough, and Hackman (the president)finally yells for help when the young woman tries to stab him, with aletter opener. The Secret Service blows the woman away and sets aboutcleaning up and covering up the crime. Eastwood, of course, witnessesthe entire proceeding and manages to grab one important piece ofevidence (the letter opener) before making good his escape. He thenbegins a cat and mouse game somewhere between the police, the secretservice and his estranged daughter, who is unsure who to believe.

Absolute Power, despite its potential, was a disappointment. Thecharacters were made believable by the phenomenal cast. Eastwood,Linney and Davis were outstanding at times. And the film has severaltense and visually very interesting scenes which showed Eastwood’sdirectorial talent nicely. From my perspective, the problem wassomewhere between the script, the editing and the directing, but I amnot sure exactly where. About 2/3rds of the way through the film, theKeystone Cops antics of the Secret Service members who are supposed tobe "taking care" of the situation, are no longer believable, andneither is Eastwood’ ability to be anywhere at any time without beingdetected. Further, when the end finally does come, it moves in prettyabruptly, as something of a less than interesting anticlimax, longafter the plot has fully unraveled, and you are left wondering just howmuch of the script was edited out. In fact, the last half of the filmseemed rushed.

Absolute Power is a plot heavy film. Less character-driven and lessaction oriented than most of its genre peers, the film relies on strongbut underdeveloped performances, the likability of its antihero(Eastwood) and what could have been a very engaging string of scenariosculminating in a powerful conclusion. Plot heavy films can be goodfilms if they stick to their heavy story-lines. However, andinexplicably, Absolute Power derails about half way through and neverreally gets back on track. Instead, none of these potentialities areexplored fully and we are left with only petty revenge, a littlemisapplied justice, and the rebuilding of a relationship between thestory’s most likable characters (Linney and Eastwood). Yawn. Anentertaining little show with a few really good moments, but nothingspecial.

2) When I first saw this movie I wasn’t expecting anything great. Ithought it was just going to be another ‘corruption-in-theWhite-house-plot’ but it turned out to be rather different. At the timesuch films were popular thanks to the Lewinskigate scandal. AbsolutePower is much better than other films in the sub-genre like Murder at1600.

The plot and subject matter are handled with care and maturity and thedirection was dignifying to the source material despite having someradical changes near the end. This was the second film I saw thatEastwood had directed (after Perfect World) and I was surprised to seethat he is as good at directing as he is acting. Every scene ismasterfully edited and framed. Even with a 121 minute running time thefilm doesn’t drag at any point.

I was most impressed with the opening of the movie. Despite the factthat Clint in on screen for the entire first 35 minutes he only has twoshort lines. I wonder why he didn’t cut these out and say nothing untilafter the opening act as a way of giving the film a peculiar edge.Still, Absolute Power has an opening that has more class and masterfulstorytelling than most entire movies.

There are three other main actors in the movie. Gene Hackman as theconniving President, Laura Linney as Eastwood’s estranged daughter andEd Harris as the investigating cop. Despite the scope of the film Ithought it was brilliant how Eastwood kept the entire story between ahandful of characters.

Absolute Power focuses more on these characters and their motivationsand feelings rather than giving us ridiculous reasons for set-piecesand shoot-outs. But the movie still has action and it is very well doneindeed.

I recommend you see this movie but try to see it in widescreen to fullyappreciate Eastwood’s great cinematography.

3) What starts out with immense potential gradually evaporates intopreposterousness in ABSOLUTE POWER. That doesn't make it an entirelybad picture, but it certainly puts a damper on what could have been.Clint Eastwood is an aging thief (he's been an aging something or otherfor his last 20 movies) who secretly witnesses President Gene Hackmanget rough with his mistress. The encounter ends with her being shot bythe Secret Service as she tries to defend herself, and the incident ispromptly disguised to look like run-of-the-mill foul play. He may be onthe outside of the law looking in, but Clint ain't about to let thepowers that be get away with this one.

The opening 20 minutes of ABSOLUTE POWER are quite suspenseful,bordering on mesmerizing. There we are, trapped in a walk-in, two-waymirrored vault along with our pilfering hero, helpless to stop thehorror unfolding just meters away. Eastwood may start out as the badguy, but his status is quickly upgraded as he flees the scene holdingwhat may be the only piece of evidence that can prove his astonishingobservation. From then on we find ourselves rooting him on, even if heis in reality nothing more than the lesser of two evils.

What unravels ABSOLUTE POWER is its laziness and improbability. In anattempt to set up one stirring scene after another, the charactersbegin doing and saying things one would expect of a low-rateJean-Claude Van Damme movie. A one-dimensionally evil Secret Serviceman surreptitiously hunkers down in a tall building trying to snipeEastwood ala Lee Harvey Oswald. A police detective has no problem withEastwood sneaking around his home at all hours of the night. Athree-minute argument by Eastwood's thief is enough to convince themistress's widower of the involvement of the most powerful man onearth. And to call the ending outlandish and unsatisfying would be apair of understatements.

As well, though it's usually the other way around, ABSOLUTE POWER wouldhave benefited from a longer running time. One comes away with thesense that Eastwood, who also directed, tried to cram too much into toolittle. The film certainly had the material to go longer, and itscompactness gives the whole endeavor a choppy feel at times.

ABSOLUTE POWER is a film you really want to like. There is considerabletalent involved here, and the movie's heart seems to be in the rightplace. But like that one photo we all have in our album, this onedidn't turn out as good as we would have hoped.

4) HIGHS–

A very fun plot. Gene Hackman could vilify Ghandi given the rightlines. Clint Eastwood as a high-stakes jewel thief?? I’m in heaven.Soft, subtle score; typical of modern Eastwood films. Intense finalethat has you rooting for the bad guys, or is it the good guys?? Youdecide. E. G. Marshall’s version of a scorned billionaire is awonderful turn.

LOWS–

I have not read Baldacci’s novel this is based upon. But I have tothink, Clint Eastwood was not who he had in mind for the elusive catburglar Luther Whitney. That casting was probably a little tooself-serving. Also, I did enjoy the plot. But maybe a touch of morebelievability would have been nice. The murder scene at the beginning,while necessary for the remainder, may be a touch too implausible formy taste.

PARTING IMPRESSION–

Solid entertainment. This rating denotes that. Sure, won’t win anyOscars, but that’s not why you really want to see a film like this. Weall root for these high stakes take-the-money-and-run type finales andhere we are satiated in the chicanery, the likes of which could onlyemanate from D.C. Seven out of ten.

5) Some actors, upon reaching their sixties or seventies, retire. Someenter into a sort of semi-retirement whereby they continue to acceptcameo parts but not leading roles. Some, however, try and revisit thetriumphs of their youth by making the same sort of films that they weremaking twenty or thirty years earlier. There are too many examples tolist them all, but I was less than enthusiastic to note that SylvesterStallone, at the age of sixty, has just made his sixth "Rocky" film andis currently working on his fourth "Rambo".

Clint Eastwood is a rare example of a star who managed to remain aleading man throughout his seventh and into his eighth decade, but didso without a desperate attempt to put the clock back. (Doubtless hisstatus as a director and producer has given him a greater influenceinside the industry than many of his contemporaries). In his earlysixties he made "Unforgiven", one of the all-time great Westerns, inwhich he starred as an ageing gunfighter, and since then has made anumber of other films, such as "The Bridges of Madison County" and"Million Dollar Baby", in which an older man takes centre stage.Occasionally his roles have contained elements of an old man's wishfulthinking, such as his romance with Rene Russo in "In the Line of Fire",but even in that film his character's age was important to the plot.

"Absolute Power", made when Eastwood was sixty-seven, is another olderman's film. His character, Luther Whitney, is a veteran burglar who hasbroken into the Washington mansion of an elderly millionaire namedWalter Sullivan, where, from his hiding-place, he inadvertentlywitnesses a killing. Sullivan's young wife Christy enters the bedroomwith her lover, who is none other than the President, Allen Richmond.What starts out as a consensual love-making session goes wrong whenRichmond, clearly a lover of rough sex, starts slapping Christy. Shetakes exception to this and slaps him back. Things get out of hand, andshe attempts to stab him with a letter-opener. Richmond calls for helpand his Secret Service bodyguards burst into the room and open fire,killing Christy.

Some reviewers have described Christy's killing as "murder", butlegally this is not correct. Had the two bodyguards ever stood trialfor murder, they would have been acquitted as they were only carryingout their duty to protect the President's life, but things never getthat far. Richmond is too shocked to take any action, but his Chief ofStaff Gloria Russell, realising that if the truth ever came out itwould destroy his career, organises a cover-up. When the President'sstaff realise that Luther was a witness to the killing, he is forced togo on the run.

This could have been the plot of a very mundane political thriller, butEastwood, both as actor and director, is able to lift it above thatlevel. Despite Luther's criminal tendencies, Eastwood is able to makehim a sympathetic figure, a man with his own sense of decency andhonour. He had the assistance of a very strong cast, featuring some ofHollywood's most accomplished actors. There is E.G. Marshall in hislast feature film as Sullivan, Gene Hackman (always a very watchablevillain) as the hypocritical Richmond, Judy Davis as Gloria and EdHarris as the police chief who is investigating Christy's death andsoon comes to realise that there is more to it than meets the eye. Aparticularly important role is played by the very talented Laura Linneyas Luther's daughter Kate. She has become estranged from her father asshe disapproves of his criminal lifestyle and now works as a criminallawyer, prosecuting on behalf of the police. When she realises that herfather is in danger, however, she comes to his assistance, and theystart to rebuild their relationship.

The idea that their President might be a philanderer would have come asno surprise to most Americans in the mid-nineties, even though thisfilm came out just before President Clinton was caught up in the MonicaLewinsky affair. Eastwood was not, however, interested in doingsomething along the lines of "Primary Colors" or "Wag the Dog"; thereis no attempt to make Richmond a disguised portrait of Clinton, and wedo not even learn if he is a Democrat or Republican. "Absolute Power"is intended as a thriller, not a satirical comedy. Nevertheless, itdoes tap into the feeling that many Americans have had, ever since theWatergate affair, that their Presidents cannot always be trusted totell the truth. It is significant that the hero of this film is aburglar by trade; the implication is that such a man may be less of acrook than a politician. 7/10

6) Eastwood, nobody's fool, seems to alternate between quiet, almost artyfilms, and commercial thrillers or comedies. This is probably anabove-average example of one of his thrillers.

The plot — in brief — Eastwood is a highly skilled thief and in theprocess of burglarizing a rich old man's house he witnesses the murderof the owner's wife by the President of the United States (GeneHackman) and two of his Secret Service agents. Clint manages to getaway, carrying some damaging evidence with him. The police narrow downthe list of suspects until only Clint is left plausible. Thereafter heis hunted by the police (Ed Harris), a hit man hired by the tycoon (E.G. Marshall), and the Secret Service (Judy Davis and Scott Glen). Thereis a subplot involving Clint's estranged daughter (Laura Linney) whogets together with Ed Harris in the film's course. In the end, throughClint's deft weaseling about, justice is done.

I had a bit of a problem with the film's moral calculus. E. G.Marshall, one of the world's richest men, is a good guy. We are toldthis repeatedly and he's shown a good deal of respect by people whoshould know. But then why did he "give the presidency" to a murdering,philandering fool like Hackman? And SHOULD he have? He loses oursympathy when he hires a hit man to kill Eastwood. Evidently, somehow,he manages to stab the president to death. The script seems to want usto applaud him for dealing out power and justice as he sees fit, and torespect him even after he kills Hackman and lies about it on TV, usingthe pat phrase, "He was like a son to me." "Good man," my foot.

It's rather a gutsy movie. In most of them, when a "high governmentofficial" is involved in some really nefarious business like murder,it's usually someone of lesser status than the President himself. (Cf.,"No Way Out," in which, in a similar role, Hackman is Secretary ofDefense or something.) In all of its aspects — its photography,location shooting, musical score, and performances — it'sprofessionally competent. If it doesn't probe anyone's psych, itdoesn't matter because it's easy to be swept up in the events and theclarity of the characterization. It even rises above that level in itsdialog. The plot may be no more imaginative than is called for, but thewriters have thrown in some sparkling bon mots.

Harris and Glenn are talking in a parking lot and introduce each other.Harris remarks that Glenn is famous as a state trooper for his heroism.Glenn: "I was younger and dumber then." Harris: "Yeah, I was youngerthen but I think I'm dumber now." When E. G. Marshall is negotiatingwith the hit man, he offers him three million dollars to kill Eastwood,who he believes murdered his wife. Hit man: "You're a good salesman."Marshall: "Selling sin is easy." And when Harris first finishesinterrogating Clint, Harris says, "I'll see you tomorrow." Clint smilesgaily and replies: "Tomorrow is promised to no one." Now — I'm notclaiming that these are Shakespearean flights of poetry, but they're atleast as good as a lot of well-known lines from B movies like "Detour."("What is money? Just a piece of paper crawling with germs.") At leastafter hearing them you don't want to take a can of scouring powder toyour auditory canals and clean out the accumulated garbage. Whoever isresponsible for lines like that HAD to think beyond the merelyutilitarian.

Nice journeyman job.

7) Here is a well-paced Clint film that is fit for a heart-attack! Thecast that accompanies Eastwood is flawless. As 'Luther' the old 'cat'who has made a fine career out of stealing, is at a major moralcrossroad…from what he had witnessed on 'the job' that never shouldhave taken place, in front of him. This is a stunner, that keeps yourpulse pounding in places and slows down to a normal pace in otherspots, and it all works perfectly.

Eastwood's style is second to none, as he makes his way through thisthrill-ride of an enthralling story. He is very thought-provoking as heworks to figure his 'escape', then a moral dilemma of major proportionshits him like a ton of brick!! His whole mission, has changed at thatpoint and he knows it. From then on, he is set on a new course ofdecisive action. Next to actors like Scott Glenn and Ed Harris, LauraLinney, Judy Davis Dennis Haybert, that is pretty solid for a cast, allthe players pull their own weight. But then with the addition of GeneHackman, this is a frantic paced unveiling of events.

This for sure, rounds out my top of the top great films… This isrecommended as a Clint Eastwood fun, solid action, white knuckledthriller that is satisfying for most discreminating movie-mogals Iwould believe. (*****)

The Narrative.

A consistent plot involving many different types of characters in theform of organised professional robber Whitney (Marvellously portrayedby Eastwood) who is involved in a huge conspiracy involving the veryuncomfortable president Hackman.

Perhaps the story gets too involved at points with a lack of realism.However the film is always tense and engaging, especially the beginningwhich was definitely one of my all time favourite openings to a crimefilm. Tense, exciting and with a few twists it presents a realisticview of a robber caught up in what will surely be a huge case.

The story justifies the genre by being focused upon murders androbberies and adds sentimental value in the form of family andfriendship values. Laura Linney (The Truman Show) is terrific asEastwood's daughter and adds a great sentimental value to a heavy crimefilm. She is involved in a great twists towards the end which is a mustwatch.

The ending surprised me. Although there were great twists, the finalfew scenes and the way the narrative came to never felt quite justifiedin my opinion but then again I may have been expecting too much from afilm that was consistent and engaging from the beginning. The film isalways kept exciting through the tense robbery scenes, characteractions and a plot about a man and his power.

Direction.

Eastwood's direction is simply breathtaking. The opening sequence wherehe explores the neatly kept mansion for his robbery is the best momentin the entire film; I was literally on the edge of my seat. Dark, quietand with a grace that any director would be proud of I held my breathefrom start to finish. Heavy critics may argue it conforms too much toan action styled genre with many shots appearing focusing in or aroundthe main priority but I appreciated it for what it was, which was sheerbrilliance.

Eastwood is outstanding in the whole of this film. Not only his abilityto pull off a stern ageing character but this direction is also worthyof huge praise.

watch it if…you enjoy the crime genre and appreciate tense dramaticsequences.

but its simply just worth watching for the beginning.

9) So the president of the United States may not be the nicest guy in theworld. Well, we've known that can be the case since 1789. So the ideaof our presidents engaging in sexual shenanigans may be asuncomfortable as realizing our parents do it. Well, we've learned morethan we want to know over the last few decades about how our presidentsspend their time when they aren't bringing peace to the world andensuring our domestic tranquility. One of the reasons Absolute Power issuch a fine thriller is that it involves the dirty doings — murder,cover-ups, self-serving righteousness — of those in high electedoffice.

Absolute Power is the story of Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood), "one ofthe great thieves of the world," who breaks into the mansion of WalterSullivan (E. G. Marshall), a very rich, very powerful and very oldpolitical kingmaker. But then Luther hears voices and has to hide in abedroom vault with a one-way mirror. He has to watch the rough sexbetween the rich man's much younger wife and a friend of hers. Whenthings get out of hand and she angrily starts to do some stabbing,suddenly two very competent men break in and shoot the lady dead.They're followed by an aggressively competent woman who proceeds toclean things up and spin a story that a thief must have killed the ladyof the house. Luther comes to realize that the two shooters are SecretService agents, the competent woman is Gloria Russell (Judy Davis), thepresident's chief of staff, and the man is Allen Richmond (GeneHackman), the unscrupulous president of the U. S. Luther is spotted andbarely escapes but Russell and the two agents manage to identify him.They also learn he has an estranged daughter, Kate Whitney (LauraLinney), a young prosecutor. At first Luther decides to take hisaccrued wealth and flee the country. Then he sees a press conference ontelevision where Richmond uses the grief-stricken Sullivan, who madehim president, in a smarmy soap opera of shared grief. Luther changeshis mind and decides to see that justice is done. Luther's brand ofjustice is resourceful, clever and dangerous. All the while he has todeal with an honest homicide cop, Seth Frank (Ed Harris), who is on histrail, an assassin hired by Sullivan to kill whoever killed his wife,and the machinations of Gloria Russell, determined to shield Richmond,aided by the two Secret Service agents. One, Bill Burton (Scott Glenn),has a conscience. The other, Tim Collin (Dennis Haysbert), does not.

Eastwood and writer William Goldman have, in my opinion, concocted afine, intelligent thriller that plays off Eastman's age ("Go down arope in the middle of the night? If I could do that, I'd be the star ofmy AARP meetings."), gives us some fine set pieces (the break-in,killing and cleaning up; the attempt on Luther's life by two separateassassins when he meets his daughter; and the wonderfully played danceat a White House ball between Hackman and Davis) and which is told at amore-or-less human-sized scale. While I think perhaps too much time wasspent on the relationship between Luther and his daughter, it's thisrelationship, well acted between Eastman and Linney, that helps raisethe movie beyond just another thriller.

Three things make this movie so good. First, there are two sets ofintriguing relationships, one of which is poignant and tender, theother almost grotesquely amusing. The Eastwood- Linney situation is thefirst. And then there is the Allen Richmond-Gloria Russell pas dedieux. He depends on her but we know he'd toss her out in a minute ifhe needed to. She depends on him, probably loves him, and would gut hermother to protect him and her power ("I'll take care of everything.Like I always do."). It's fascinating, especially as played out byHackman and Davis. Their White House waltz at the ball, where Davis iscoy because she thinks the necklace she received was a present fromRichmond, and Richmond knows, and tells her, that the necklace was theone worn by Sullivan's wife and that it had to have come from LutherWhitney, is a classic lesson in acting. The two of them play everyemotion you can think of, all the while dancing in close-up and smilingfor the admiring guests. The scene is a tour de force and immenselyfunny.

Second, this movie is so good for what Eastwood and Goldman don't do.This is a thriller without explosions, without wild car chases andwithout star posing. We're left to focus on the story, on theintelligence of the dialogue, on the cleverness of the situation. AsRoger Ebert said, "it's a thriller not upstaged by its thrills."

Third, and most importantly, is the casting. The impact of the movieprimarily rests with Eastwood, Hackman and Davis. Each one has shownmany times that they can carry a movie by themselves. Judy Davis is theleast known and has been stuck in character roles for years. However,just watch her in My Brilliant Career, A Passage to India or Childrenof the Revolution to see an actress who can dominate a movie. Thesecond tier, made up of Ed Harris, E. G. Marshall, Laura Linney, ScottGlenn and Dennis Haysbert are just as effective. These are experiencedactors who work well together and who know how to deliver their stuff.E. G. Marshall at 83 gives a performance that combines great sadnesswith an implacable sense of retribution. And Scott Glenn, such a goodactor who has slowly slipped down to smaller, secondary roles, gives aperformance of such regret it nearly distracts us from the story.

10) An experienced, charming and perfected thief witnesses the President of TheUnited States killing a young, beautiful girl, during a robbery. Trying tochoke the case, professional murderers are contracted to hunt the thief, atthe same time in that he tries to prove his innocence and the president’scrime. Eastwood is the main character and he also directs this interestingthriller written for the great William Goldman.Even being an excellent filmdirector (what was proven along his career), Eastwood didn’t obtain the samesuccess of "Unforgiven", accomplishing a thriller that even counting withtouching and tense moments (as the scene in which a murderer tries to killEastwood with a rifle),is slow and without any memorable action moments,what helped to cause the box office failure of the motion picture.Theinterest for "Absolute Power" is justified by the excellent supportingactors’ cast, and among the great performances stands out Laura Linney’swork as the Eastwood’s daughter, and in this movie, unlike "Truman Show",she has the chance to really play her part in a convincing way and not justto offer big smiles.It’s evident that are flaws in the rhythm and that therunning time is very long, but "Absolute Power" is sustained due to thecharisma of Eastwood and the script that tries to evidence the actors’interpretation, leaving the action in second plan.

2) London is the magnet for those escaping the twitched net curtain andpursed-lipped respectability of the suburbs or provincial dullness. AndSoho was the very pole of that magnet. The brilliant, the hopeless, theartist, the writer, the harmlessly perverted, the amiably perpetuallydrunk could all find comfort, stimulation, companionship andappreciation in Soho's after-hours drinking clubs. Geoffrey Bernard(brilliantly portrayed by Peter O'Toole in "Geoffrey Bernard isUnwell") was just one of its luminaries. Quentin Crisp another. Onefamous impecunious artist would go from table to table with an oldtobacco tin collecting money to pay for her drinks. It was a small, oddworld; later overshadowed by its own legends.

At a time when homosexual acts were illegal, Soho offered an entirelynon-judgemental welcome to all who would obey its free and easy clubsocial rules. Queer, camp or dyke could and would exchange drinks,anecdotes, smiles and confidences with everyone else. The wonderfullate Betty Marsden as the butch R P Monody and her "constant companion"are just two more unusual inhabitants. The Bill Nighy character'sobliging indifference to AC/DC polarities seemed though, to anon-expert eye, unlikely. But perhaps not in Soho.

The writing, location and ambiance are incredibly reminiscent of thoseof Patrick Hamilton yet without his cruelty and viciousness. Herepeople are generally kind. Nothing very remarkable happens. Peoplecome, people go. Outside, a new Labour government is elected. Inside,one person passes away in an undignified but convincingly true to lifecircumstance. Judi Dench frets. The late Charles Gray is a fish inwater. Few people are still around who remember Soho just after thewar. "Absolute Hell" seemingly perfectly recreates that world. The castappear not to perform rather to inhabit it. Bill Nighy's extremerealistic conversational style of acting provides the final convincingevidence that we the audience are there 60 years ago a fly on thesmoke-stained walls of the club. That is the magic of the writing andparticularly the production.

3) I wish I hadn’t missed the beginning when it was screened on UK TVrecently.

A great play, and very lifellike if you’ve ever spent much time in adrinking clubin Soho! Francesca Annis and Bill Nighy are as brilliant as ever. Lovetheoldbag who keeps asking "Is anyone going Earlsy Courtsy way?" (Translation -Can anyone give me a lift to Earls Court?)xxxxx

4) While Dame Judi Dench is magnificent as always, this play is dreadfullydepressing about the lives of London life after WWII. But my biggestproblem with it is the more than average homosexuality in the drama.While Dame Judi plays the tragic lonely heroine who would plead for thecompanionship of a homosexual. The play is rather a grim and depressingtoo watch. Surprisingly, I did watch most of it. But I have to say thatDoris is the only one sane reasonable character. Granted, she is asexually repressed character who uses sports as an escape. She is theonly one who makes the proper observation about the barflys or membersas escaping into alcoholism and sex.

Hamburg, complete with its drab industrial foreshores and sometimesuninviting urban decay, is the setting for Gigantic and is as much ascharacter as the three friends Lloyd, Walter and Rocco. It’s no surprise,once we’ve trawled past the faceless apartment blocks and rusting waterfrontsheds, that Lloyd wants out. What is a surprise is that he springs his newson his great friends with no time to prepare them for the shock. He leavestomorrow, at sunrise.

In spite of their anger, and fear, Walter and Rocco go along with Lloyd’sdesire to have one great final night together. It begins fervently,excitingly, but as events go awry and daylight slowly inches over thehorizon, the crushing reality of what is to follow sets in for the trio, whoalong the way also pick up their next door neighbour, the gorgeous but selfdestructive Tesla.

Debut director/writer Sebastian Schipper knows the value of understatement.Instead of stuffing his screenplay full of worthy but dull ruminations onthe meaning and importance of friendships, he lets his characters do thetalking for him. Boldly, Schipper uses a single, funereal piece of musicover and over to signify moments of emotional crisis for his characters. Themove is risky but pays dividends – Lloyd, Walter and Rocco don’t have to saymuch to get across what they are really feeling. It’s also a testament tothe abilities of the actors playing these parts that you feel greatly fortheir pasts, presents, and especially futures.

The finale of Gigantic is heartbreaking, and deliberately ambiguous. Notonly is it the perfect conclusion to the chaotic night before it, which isin itself a metaphor for the inherent turmoil of close friendships, it isenough to make you want to go out and phone every friend you haven’t spokento in years to find out how they are doing. Few films have the ability tomove and entertain as well as say something about the pain and joy of simplybeing alive and knowing other people. Gigantic is one of them. It’s amasterpiece.

2) Normally I am not a big fan of German cinema, but every now and then agem like Lola Rennt or this comes out of nowhere. Unlike anythingHollywood would have done, this does not clutter the story withsubplots and just focuses on the three friends’ last night together.The music is perfect, as it helps the audience realize the sadnessthese people must feel, knowing that they will never be together again.The script is very funny, and the direction is perfect, as Schlipper isable to let the story pause and simply film Floyd, Ricco and Walter asthey sit in silence. However, somehow the film does not turn into along-winded cheesefest. Along with Tom Tykwer(I think that’s how youspell it) who produced the film, I think Schlipper is a talent towatch, cos, if there’s any justice in the world, he will have a brightfuture. This film rocks.

3) I love this movie madly. . I saw it four days ago and it still hasn’t letgoof me.Floyd, Walter and Ricco have only one last night together to come to termswith the fact that Floyd will ship out on a freighter the next morning.Theydrift into that bleak Hamburg night like they would on any other, and themundane becomes suddenly extraordinary as the reality of the impendingfarewell percolates through their celebration .What they leave behind in the night, is that total abandon you can onlyafford those few years between being a kid and suddenly beingold.

This is one from the heart. It’s got everything, the riotous humor and funof outrunning the crew of an Elvis stuntshow, the tempo and jumpcuts of astrobelight punkclub, a heart as big as the V 8 Walter puts in his FordGranada and the thrill of a deathmatch…in foosball !!

The film reminds us how intoxicating friendship can be and how good it canfeel to be that drunk from a toast to a leaving friend.Like the perfect song: happy in its rhythm, sad in its melody. Floyd saysearly into the film something like" I wish everyone could have his ownsoundtrack, that there would always be music. So that if you’re reallydown,there would still be the music…and when you’re the happiest in your lifethe record would skip and the moment would never end…"After their last night, when Floyd looks up into the Hamburg sky one lasttime, the soundtrack to the film DOES skip and captures that perfectmoment,the essence of parting, that loss that really isn’t and that unbearableinevitability that tomorrow your best friends will be faraway.

I can only hope that this total charmer finds a distributor in the U.S..I’m sure it would find an audience somewhere in the same aisles that lovedthat "Big Wednesday" coming of age urgency, the tempo and irreverence of"Go", the unpretentious humor of "It’s a jungle out there" or " No moreMr.nice guy" and the unspoken loyalty in any of the "Winnetou"movies.As for Sebastian Schipper the Director, whose eloquence in talking abouthisfilm ( and cars ) at the German Filmfestival in Los Angeles rivals theeasewith which this film speaks to you – In a way I’m already sorry to see himbecoming famous. He’ll soon join Tom Tykwer as the posterboy for the newgerman film and I’m afraid he’ll lose his genius eye and savant heart muchlike he lost his enthusiasm for foosball……..

4) As Floyd’ s probation has expired he’s going to leave Hamburg the next dayto see the world. So there’s only one night left for him to say farewelltohis best friends Ricco and Walter. The movie depicts the funny and sadadventures of the trio during that last night involving an argument withsome die-hard Elvisfans, the most nerve-racking table-football match in film history and waytoomuch alcohol.

The whole thing is so beautiful in a bittersweet way that you wish thefilmwould go on forever. You want to see more about Ricco’s family, about thebarflies at Horst’s and especiallyabout Telsa, the girl next door (who is played incredibly cute andvulnerable by Julia Hummer in her film debut). But if a film is too shortit’s always a compliment, not a fault.

Sebastian Schipper in *his* debut as a director really knew what he wasdoing, although (or because?) he sometimes doesn’t play by the establishedrules. For example he uses refreshingly little dialogue for a german filmand he even lets it go on for a few more minutes after the last words have

been said, telling the end just with images. And those images arebrilliantsince the director of photography was Frank Griebe ("Lola rennt"). IMO themovie gets 9 out of 10.

5) The last night together for three friends in Hamburg, before one ofthem will board a ship to Africa. Crazy, wild, touching. A tribute totheir friendship and friendship in general. And a tribute to thatunique Northern German city as well. Plus a fantastic soundtrack whichadds a lot to the movie: lots of electronic music, some rock, fast,pumping, but also minimal in the lonely moments of the story. Not toforget the great cast of these three unlike friends – and the girl, ofcourse. And, last but not least: A tribute to passion, to what iscalled "Fernweh" in German, the need to get out of where you are rightnow and see the whole big world, without – in my impression -forgetting the loneliness that accompanies the traveler who doesn'tquite know where he belongs (yet?).

What should I say? It's a wonderful small big movie.

6) When I first saw "Absolute Giganten" it instantly became myfavourite.I just love this movie. It is wonderfully sad but at the same time it seemsto keep a certain happiness that just moves you and makes you feel glad tobe alive.Sebastian Schipper has made a beautiful but also very real film withwonderful actors and great music by The Notwist.Directors of the world do me a favour and give me more films like thisone!

7) schipper has shown incredible diversity as a budding actor in many of tomtykwer’s eclectic and nuanced german films. also had a minor, yetunforgettable, role in anthony minghella’s ‘the english patient’, in theinterrogation scene with willem dafoe. ‘absolute giganten’ marks his braveand confident debut, with superior directional and editing skills.definitely a new german director to keep a watch out for.

Sebastian Schipper's debut-film is a nice little movie about some bigissues, about friendship and about leaving friends. It's one of theflicks showing that it's possible to compensate a lack of big moneythrough passion. Schipper tells the story of three friends and theirlast night together as one of them (Floyd) feels he have to leave townthe next morning – probably forever. They decide to make the best outof it in nightly Hamburg… I think this movie is mostly focused onit's characters and on it atmosphere. The cinematography (everythinglooks a little bit cold) and the great soundtrack (mostly provided byGermany indie-heroes „The Notwist") just support that atmosphere, whichis kind of melancholic, not in a depressing but in a humorous way. Themain characters are likable, the viewer can relate to them within a fewminutes, even though only very basic informations concerning theirbackgrounds are given. That's also because one of the strong points ofthe film is the cast, there's a great chemistry between the main actorsand they are able to transport a lot not only by words, but also bygestures and looks. So, as opposite to most other German films, noteverything has to be discussed, some things just stay unsaid. So, don'texpect impressing photography or any outstanding direction but ifyou're interested in sometimes sad sometimes funny 80 minutes, give ita try.

9) It does not need many words to show you what friendship is. Just watch thismovie. — Don’t search for women here. They only play a small part. Butit’s enough to fall in love with Julia Hummer. — Did you ever watch amorning come ? This film does. It changes from black to blue, pink andwhite.

And: did you notice that the car driver in the beginning (who races againstthe 3 friends) looks exactly like Harrison Ford ? In AMERICAN GRAFFITI, myother favorite, but many years earlier, another film about friendship, andfriends getting older and going apart, Ford played the race driver,too.

The table-soccer game is shot like the pool games in THE COLOR OF MONEY.ABSOLUTE GIGANTEN took the best from the best, and it’s already amongthem.

10) This film truly is exceptional in many ways. Exceptionally funny,exceptionally touching, melancholy and energetic, set in exceptionally coldghetto and harbour districts of Hamburg. Three friends, Ricco, Floyd andWalter, live their easy lives there. All three of them are quite different,still tight together by a deep friendship. Although the quarter they livein, the harbour that pulsates continuously, the places they go to, althoughthese all seem very surreal and unpleasant, as if illuminated by cold neonlight, one never feels uncomfortable with that – due to the deep sympathythe three friends have for each other. They manage to have fun andanalyzingthoughts about their situation at the same time.A film full of contrasts, both in pictures and in moods. Amust-see!

This was also a great reminder to me of why I was such a big fan of hisin the mid to late 70's. Evel Knievel was a true Superstar thattranscended being just a motorcycle daredevil. He was a huge star, anda worldwide icon. But the man was always there, just a regular man.

There were also nice bits about his family, and how his life and hischallenges affected them.

All-in-all, a well done piece. 8 out of 10.

Desert Buddha

• The production, in common with the rest of the British film industry at the time, had severe financial problems. Shooting stopped for several weeks due to lack of funds.
• Paul Weller was originally offered the role of Dean Swift but turned it down.
• The film is based on a novel first published in 1959. One of the incidents portrayed in the story was based on the Notting Hill race riots of August, 1958.
• A tracking shot that occurs early in the film was inspired by the long tracking used by Orson Welles in the opening of Touch of Evil (1958).
• After submitting the film for a 15 certificate producer Stephen Woolley was contacted by the BBFC and told that Patsy Kensit had revealed a nipple in one of the film’s scenes. Despite Woolley’s assurance that this was not the case because Kensit had been insistent during filming about not revealing her body, UK censor James Ferman painstakingly trawled through the movie using a BBFC “freeze frame” machine until he was finally convinced that the original information was incorrect. Only then did he grant the film an uncut certificate.
• The last feature film of Irene Handl

• Boom mic visible: When Harry Charms is auditioning young singers with Colin, there is a boom mic visible when Harry and Colin first enter the studio.

2) I had just graduated high school(in California) when this movie came out, inthe summer of 1986. Given the heavy promotion given it by MTV(I believethey had a contest whose winner would appear in the film, though I may haveremembered that wrong), and given that David Bowie, whose music career wason the upswing, had a starring role(along with a mix of musicians likeveteran Ray Davies(of the Kinks) and newcomer Sade), you’d expect the moviewould be a hit. Instead, it barely made a dent in America(in their year-endissue, Rolling Stone called it one of the hype jobs of the year), and seemsto have been largely forgotten(though in an interview with Rolling Stoneabout a year later, Bowie claimed it was a cult hit). In fact, while starPatsy Kensit has had an erratic career, Bowie continued to make music andthe occasional movie, and director Julien Temple, after this and EARTH GIRLSARE EASY, went back to his forte, music videos, it’s sort of ironic that themost successful person to come from that movie is Robbie Coltrane(TV’sCRACKER), who only had a small role here.

Why am I boring you all with this? Because ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS is one of theunsung classics of the 80’s. Of course, having grown up on old-timemusicals(my dad was a fan), I’m probably more receptive to them than theaverage person seems to be today, but this is one of the best ones of thelast two decades. Not only are all the numbers well-written and wellsung(in addition to Bowie, Davies, and Sade, jazz great Gil Evans wrote theinstrumental score, and Style Council contributes a song. Also, female leadPatsy Kensit sings one, while male lead Eddie O’Connell lip-syncs hisnumbers), they’re also imaginatively staged. A good example is"Motivation," one of two numbers Bowie sings(the other being the titlesong), which includes parodies of Busby Berkley-type numbers. There’s alsoa wicked parody of teen pop.

As for the story, Temple has the fine novel to fall back on(by ColinMacInnes), and while there’s probably too many ideas trying to burstout(teen alienation, racism, "Selling Out"(the name of another song), hejuggles them all with finesse. And the cast handles things with aplomb,with the exception of, surprisingly, Bowie; while he’s appropriatelysuper-smooth as the oily executive, his voice(intended to be an Americanaccent?) is annoying. But O’Connell and Kensit are both fresh andappealing, Anita Morris and James Fox both play well in their typecastroles(as, respectively, a sexpot gossip columnist and an effete fashiondesigner), there’s a nice turn by Mandy Rice-Davies(who, you may remember,was in real life involved in the Profumo scandal), and a host of others insmall but memorable parts(the ones I can remember are Steven Berkoff(BEVERLYHILLS COP) and Bruce Payne(PASSENGER 57) as fascists, and Paul Rhys(VINCENTAND THEO) as a mod). All in all, well worth tracking down.

3) This film is clearly not for everyone, but it was a major step forward inthe evolution of the movie musical, perhaps the first "post-modern" moviemusical, looking back to the history of musical film, paying tribute, butalso rejecting and replacing many movie musical conventions. It’s abrilliant, exciting film, without which we might not have Moulin Rougetoday. And even if you don’t get it, the music is terrificenough…

4) With the great era of musicals long past, it was interesting to see howstylized & clever this little "musical" film really was.

The story line was nil, but then great musicals don’t need one, anyway.–Not to say that this was a "great musical", but the music WAS pretty good,and the film’s use of thoughtful & colorful sets was stunning.

The camera movement, the scene changes, the hypnotic (almost psychedelic)fades, and the simply dazzling use of color, more than made up for the sillydialog and tripey sub-plots.

All in all, a good looking, well-mounted, and (except for the ending)enjoyable experience. The fast pace of the dream-like musical sequencesmade this a much better film than I had anticipated seeing.

I rated it 9, -mostly for sets, color, music, costumes, & photography.

5) First, I must respectfully disagree with the other reviewer who hated thismovie. It has a complex set of plot lines that deal with a number ofissuesrevolving around the lives of a young up-and-coming "pop photographer",andhis love interest — played by Patsy Kensit. Then, there is the "oldqueen"(also an unscrupulous real estate developer) who marries Patsy. Now, addtothat the ad agency aspect (David Bowie’s song and dance routine to"SellingOut" is a classic), plus the racial tensions in 1950’s or 1960’s London,andyou have a multi-layered plot tapestry.

Personally, I don’t mind that David Bowie is only in the movie for tenminutes — I am a fan of Bowie, but this is really not "his movie".

6) Julien Temple's "Absolute Beginners" is probably more well known forit's breathtaking and legendary opening tracking shot through agloriously campy backlot version of London's SoHo District (soinfluential it even served as an in-joke in Robert Altman's "ThePlayer") AND for the film's behind-the-scenes B.O. failure both at home(where it was trumped up as to herald the coming of the "new" Britishcinema) and abroad. But upon a fresh look in the days after the visualassault of "Moulin Rouge" and the puffery of "Chicago", smarter DVDviewers will certainly (hopefully) now find "Absolute Beginners". MGM'stiming couldn't be more perfect: the film should find an audience thathas caught up with the form, patient enough to sit through therazzle-dazzle with a cast that frequently, joyously, breaks into songwhen the moment is right.

Director Temple – he of the Sex Pistols' "The Great Rock And RollSwindle", "Earth Girls Are Easy" and a career of 80's short andlong-form rock videos – takes what was a very-dead movie genre andbreathes life into a freewheelingly complex – perhaps overreaching -story of "England's First Teenagers". The idea is pure Temple: pop art,pop culture and commercialism all served up in a beautiful, thoughtfulpackage if as inherently artificial as the people and era it documents.The film crosses classic kitchen-sink drama and the dreamy ambition ofthe "youth" pictures of the day – albeit with a knowingly 80'ssensibility.

"Absolute Beginners" follows its two young "teen" stars – amateurphotographer Eddie O'Connell and the lovely Patsy Kensit as a neophytefashion designer – as they discover that their blooming talents putthem in the right-place-right-time of late 50's London, and that thesesame talents are a highly desired and marketable currency in the popidol-crazed Blighty. All of the "adults" in the film (David Bowie as aoily American marketing guru and James Fox as a foppish and callousfashionista are standouts) are the force out to co-opt and corrupt ourtwo young lovers, and their love does get called into question in thepursuit of success and the almighty British Sterling. A sub-plot ofsorts involving nasty Steven Berkoff ("Beverly Hills Cop") wedging a"Keep England White" racial cleansing of the soddy London White Cityghettos coldly highlights the cultural plasticness of the navelgazingfad-frenzy time, which leads to the film's firey denouement.

And this is a musical! But what a musical it is: each of the picture'snumbers is a virtual showstopper set-piece. There's Ray Davies of "TheKinks" as a Landlord in an awesome "Quiet Life" eye-popper thatfeatures the Brit-Rock legend chasing his boarders through anartificial three-level house all the while singing and soft-shoeing upa storm; the formerly mentioned Bowie's "That's Motivation!" ahilarious lesson on the evils of mass-marketing; and a wildJamaican-Jazz fusion fashion show that Kensit makes all her own. Thefilm's musical director was the late Gil Evans, and his contributiongives this film a classy, thoughtful pedigree that the story tries veryhard to match. Watch for Sade Adu, Robbie Coltrane, Anita Morris andMandy Rice-Davies in bit parts.

Yes, the film's serious reach hardly exceeds its glitzy grasp, but it'sdifficult to fault a movie that attempts to exhume the movie musical,tries to tell a overly complicated tale in which people still breakinto song, crams the edges of its widescreen aspect ratio in energeticcinematography, colorful scenery and engaging performances by itsleads, PLUS offers a great jazzy soundtrack and kicky musical numbers.

A great double bill with this title would be the Cliff Richardartifact, "The Young Ones".

7) A fun musical with a lot of energy and great acting, ‘Absolute Beginners’will win a place in your heart. This is the sharpest I’ve seen Bowie in afilm, and Patsy Kensit was beautiful as Suzette. A political piece as wellas a time piece, Temple captured the feel of a Broadway or West Endmusicalperfectly. A great turnaround for Temple, who really had me worried afterdirecting ‘Mantrap’. It is a musical, so liberties have to be allowed, butfor fans of the musical this is a great one to check out. Rating: 27/40

The over-ambitious "Absolute Beginners" is one of those films that isdifficult because it frustrates you of its potential to be excellent. Andwhile it had excellent parts, those parts were better than the whole. Theperformances were fine, although one never finds oneself caring too muchabout any of the characters. That point would be irrelevant in some otherfilm. But, in the last thirty minutes or so (at the beginning of the raceriots), that caring would be the drive that would keep the viewer fromturning it off. While I did not stop the film, I did fast forward it. Tenminutes would have been more than enough, as it never needed to be thatredundant. Even at ten minutes, it would have felt tacked on, much lessoverthirty. It left a bad taste on a film that, so far, was pretty decent. Alarge musical number at the end would have been appropriate, not ahalf-hourparade of blood, fire, and broken glass.

But let us draw on some of its virtues, which it has as many as it doesfaults. The opening shot is wonderful, showing us a colorful "SwingingLondon" with choreographed movements by the streetwalkers (some of themanyway). The songs, unlike a large amount of film musicals, have beenweldedwith the story. They flow. They need to be there. The songs express whatwords cannot. The actors SHOULD be breaking out into song. And furtherthanthat, they are good. The color is another main enjoyment, as the wholestoryhad to do with glitter, flash, and things that are attractive. Crammed,stuffed with color, as it should be. Examples of this are the openingshot,the wonderful "unveiling" of Suzette at the fashion show, the first clubscene, etc. While the characters are very two dimensional, they are wellacted, and their motivations are always very clear. Yes, the charactersnever emerge from plot points to actual human beings, but that is a minordrawback.

The songs. When mentioning "Absolute Beginners," one must mention RayDavies and the Kinks’ number, "Quiet Life." One of the most brilliantmusical numbers in the film is not crucial to the story. However, I ammostglad that it was left in. Painful, mildly disturbing, and darkly funny attimes, it is catchy and simply excellent. The songs performed by the childrock star were quite annoying, but then again, I find a fourteen year oldboy singing irritating in itself. "Having it All," as well as Colin’s songfollowing, are both very good and, as I see it, essential to the story."Selling Out" is wonderful, and essential to making the motivations ofColinmore clear. The David Bowie number, "Motivation," is more visuallystimulating than musically. The song is nothing special, while its BusbeyBerkely style complemented by quick editing is the main attraction."KillerBlow," performed onscreen by Sade (a nice bonus), is a fine song/sequence.Besides it not being available on widescreen DVD, it is a shame that theCDis not available, as it would be a nice listen every once in awhile.

It could have been SO much better. It should have been so much better.Whatever made the writers/director feel that the didactic anti-racismmessage needed to be crammed in at the end I’ll never know. (Note: It’snotthe message I mind a bit, but the cramming in of 30 minutes of yelling andviolence. It’s a musical, and one which racism wasn’t even its mainfocus.)And the ending (SPOILER AHEAD) about Colin and Suzette back togetherhasn’tany basis on which it should be considered a happy ending. Aren’t they, atheart, two different people?

But, if you see it for rental at your video store, do get it. I own it.Ijust know where to stop the film isn’t necessarily at the end credits.

9) The over-ambitious "Absolute Beginners" is one of those films thatfrustrates you because of its potential to be excellent. And while it hadexcellent parts, those parts were better than the whole. The performanceswere fine, although one never finds oneself caring too much about any ofthecharacters. That point would be irrelevant in some other film. But, in thelast thirty minutes or so (at the beginning of the race riots), thatcaringwould be the drive that would keep the viewer from turning it off. While Idid not stop the film, I did fast forward it. Ten minutes would have beenmore than enough, as it never needed to be that redundant. Even at tenminutes, it would have felt tacked on, much less over thirty. It left a badtasted on a film that, so far, was pretty decent. A large musical numberatthe end would have been appropriate, not a half-hour parade of blood,fire,and broken glass.But let us draw on some of its virtues, which it has as many as it doesfaults. The opening shot is wonderful, showing us a colorful "SwingingLondon" with choreographed movements by the streetwalkers (some of themanyway). The songs, unlike a large amount of film musicals, have beenweldedwith the story. They flow. They need to be there. The songs express whatwords cannot. The actors SHOULD be breaking out into song. And furtherthanthat, they are good. The color is another main enjoyment, as the wholestoryhad to do with glitter, flash, and things that are attractive. Crammed,stuffed with color, as it should be. Examples of this are the openingshot,the wonderful "unveiling" of Suzette at the fashion show, the first clubscene, etc. While the characters are very two dimensional, they are wellacted, and their motivations are always very clear. Yes, the charactersnever emerge from plot points to actual human beings, but that is a minordrawback.The songs. When mentioning "Absolute Beginners," one must mention RayDavies and the Kinks’ number, "Quiet Life." One of the most brilliantmusical numbers in the film is not crucial to the story. However, I ammostglad that it was left in. Painful, mildly disturbing, and darkly funny attimes, it is catchy and simply excellent. The songs performed by the childrock star were quite annoying, but then again, I find a fourteen year oldboy singing irritating in itself. "Having it All," as well as Colin’s songfollowing, are both very good and, as I see it, essential to the story."Selling Out" is wonderful, and essential to making the motivations ofColinmore clear. The David Bowie number, "Motivation," is more visuallystimulating than musically. The song is nothing special, while its BusbeyBerkely complemented by quick editing is the main attraction. "KillerBlow,"performed onscreen by Sade (a nice bonus), is a fine song/sequence.Besidesit not being available on widescreen DVD, it is a shame that the CD is notavailable, as it would be a nice listen every once in awhile.It could have been SO much better. It should have been so much better.Whatever made the writers/director feel that the didactic anti-racismmessage needed to be crammed in at the end I’ll never know. (Note: It’snotthe message I mind a bit, but the cramming in of 30 minutes of yelling andviolence. It’s a musical, and one which racism wasn’t even its mainfocus.)And the ending (SPOILER AHEAD) about Colin and Suzette back togetherhasn’tany basis on which it should be considered a happy ending. Aren’t they, atheart, two different people?But, if you see it for rental at your video store, do get it. I own it.Ijust know where to stop the film isn’t necessarily at the end credits.

10) I remember when "Absolute Beginners" was being filmed, and MTV had acontest where one lucky fan got to appear as an extra in the "SellingOut" number, and who got to hang out with David Bowie (man, did I wishrains of rocks to fall on her head- I wanted to hang with Bowie,damnit!) I didn't get to see it until years later, when I rented it. Iended up buying it on VHS, and have loved it now as I did when I firstrented it. The 'serious' part of the film- the race riots- seem to notquite jibe with the rest of the film upon a first viewing. But, onceyou realize that you're not watching a serious BBC documentary on thesubject, and that the package as a whole is meant to be entertainingand exciting to watch, it all fits together quite nicely.

Even though Bowie is prominently featured in all the adverts and on thevideo cover, he is actually only in it for about 10 minutes. But, whata ten minutes! His theme song (the movie's title) is wonderful, and ifyou can find it, the full-length version (around 8:00 + minutes) isspectacular. "That's Motivation", his sole musical performance, is asly dig at the pretentiousness of the advertising world and theself-motivation needed to truly sell your soul to Madison Avenue (or,London's equivalent). As Vendice Partners, he exemplifies the kind ofgreasy vampires who were beginning to discover the power of theteenager and advertising. The late Anita Morris is delicious as DidoLament, the yank gossip columnist, who is just as much of a vampire asVendice, except her prey are horny teenage males. Eddie O'Connell asColin and Patsy Kensit as Suzzette (Crepe' Suzzette, as she is referredto in the film) are cute together as the lead teens, with "Having ItAll" (Suzzette's number) a showcase for her singing style, which is across between Minnie Mouse and Tracy Ullman (and I mean that as acompliment!) Julien Temple is a fantastic director, and his keen senseof style is evident throughout this picture (the same style he bringsto his music videos). The fantastic opening shot, one (apparantly) longtake, is exciting (he did the same thing for "When I Think Of You" byJanet Jackson). The sets all evoke a hyper-realistic view of 1950'sLondon, when times were finally good and London started to swing. Thecostumes are imaginative, and the dance sequences vibrant.

It's kind of surprising that "Absolute Beginners" gets overlooked whenflashy movies of the 80's are listed. I was surprised to hear it was ahuge bomb on both sides of the Atlantic, and held contribute to thefilm's studio, Goldcrest, going bankrupt. It's a true undiscovered gem,one that should be picked up, polished to its ultimate brightness, andlooked at again and again. It's (to coin the title of my fave sitcom)Absolutely Fabulous! If you're reading this, and you haven't seen ityet, you won't regret it if you do. Absolutely.

Unfortunately the dialog is poor which translates into mediocre acting.As for action, the gun play is comical; actors shoot wildly in variousdirections without ever aiming, and the act of poking their headsaround corners and shooting alternates between good and bad guys. Itseems like no one in the cast has ever held a firearm before. The swordplay is not much better, with some obvious fatal thrusts under thearmpits of the victims. At one point our heroes make their escape on atwo seater ATV, which I would guess has a top speed of 20 mph, butthat’s all the speed they seem to need to, out run soldiers who areonly a split second behind (and lack the marksmanship hit a target justin front of them) and zigzag between pursing tanks (which they blow upwith dynamite sticks).

It gets worse. The sets are improvised and revolve around an abandonindustrial warehouse. Prisoners in suspended animation sleep on aracking shelving system available at Walmart, the VR goggles areadorned with gold document stickers available at Staples, prisoners aremoved about in a plastic dumpster (the type apartment buildings use forrecyclables), surgical tubing is used for handcuffs, the knightshelmets are obviously made of cardboard/plastic, and I could go on, butyou get the idea.

To top things off amateurish titles and special effects that could be(and probably were) created on a PC, are dispersed throughout.

This flick does have a few redeeming scenes, to men at least. Toplessnudity is featured prominently. Amy Lynn Baxter (formerly a Playboyplaymate and a Penhouse pet) has an incredible set. Then there’s theviking raid scene, where four women run around topless and get theretops ripped off (repeatedly in that order).

If you’re thinking, hey I got a camcorder, a PC with simple videoediting software, a few days to write a script, two dozen friends whocan serve as crowds/soldiers/prisoners/commandos/indians/knights orwhatever, some stock news footage that can be spliced in, cooperationfrom the local army reserve detachment, and maybe some governmentfunding (to pay for Amy Lynn’s topless scene). Then you’ve hit on theformula for this venture.

J. Christian Ingvordsen wrote, directed and stars (as the main villain)in this venture. It wouldn’t surprise me if he claimed to be areincarnated Edward D. Wood Jr. A+ for tenacity in getting this thingmade. If you’re a fan of low budget movies then this flick might be ofsome interest, but still does not have the appeal of Mr. Wood’s cultclassic turkeys. By the way the DVD previews other movies from Mr.Ingvordsen. Airboss (1.8 IMDb rating), Bog Creatures (2.5 IMDb rating),both distributed by mtiVideo, I don’t intent to see either or visit theweb site.

Why did I bother renting and watching this to the end? Good question.My gym offers free movies, to encourage members to return for anotherworkout before $5/day late fee kicks in, and on that particular nightlittle else was available. I watched it mostly thinking I could dobetter, and the topless scenes prolonged my attention as well. Maybehaving free movies at the gym is not such a good idea. I need to findanother gym before this happens again.

A 2 on 10, out of respect for getting this thing made some how. OK, OK,the rating is mostly for seeing Amy Lynn topless.

2) The good parts- an actually interesting concept, so okay (but notgreat) action scenes. Lots of okay sex scenes.

The bad parts- The movie starts out very slow. A lot of characters areintroduced with no real background as to who they are or what they aredoing there. Some truly atrocious acting.

So why am I giving it a good rating? Because unlike a lot of big budgetmovies, these guys actually made an effort.

The plot is that the US has collapsed into anarchy, the UN has takenover, and the masses are being mollified by a virtual reality game thatinvolves a lot of stock footage, some various re-enactment groups andsome fairly unconvincing fight sequences. The action centers around arebel named Singleton, who survives fight after fight with a hunternamed Deitreich, whom he had crippled in the real world.

Meanwhile, his fellow rebels plan to defeat the evil corporation byimplanting a virus into their computer which will not only destroy thegame, but blow up their headquarters.

It silly, but it's fun.

3) I’m actually at a loss for words. It’s obvious the actors read thescript while getting into costume, if you want to call them actors, andif you want to call what there getting into costumes.

One specific scene epitomizes the entire movie. A specific scene wherethe main characters fight off a group of tanks with nothing more than afour wheeler, a few sticks of dynamite, and a cigar. The only redeemingquality that seemed to target a certain audience was the topless femalenudity, not to mention it stars a female porn artist. This could eitherbe construed as a unprovocative porn or an unprovocative motionpicture. Either way, you lose.

2) "Absolutamente Certo" is one of the last specimens of the "Golden Era"of the so-called "chanchadas" (as Brazilian popular musical comedieswere deprecatingly called by film critics). This one is about anordinary man, Zé do Lino (Anselmo Duarte), who memorizes the entirephone-book of São Paulo (a colossal feat even then) and enters a TVquiz show dreaming of buying a wheelchair for his invalid father (JoséPolicena) and get married to his longtime sweetheart (Maria Dilnah).But baddie Raul (Aurélio Teixeira) and his gang want to profit byplacing bets on Zé's failure and will do everything to stop him fromwinning.

In the 1950s, Anselmo Duarte was the #1 male heartthrob in Brazilianmovies, starring in very popular comedies and dramas for the twobiggest Brazilian studios at the time (Atlântida in Rio de Janeiro, andVera Cruz in São Paulo). "Absolutamente Certo" is his debut asdirector/ writer (he also plays the leading role) and it'ssymptomatically a "mélange" of styles of the two studios: thetechnically "sophisticated" treatment of Vera Cruz (good camera-work byBritish D.P. Chick Fowle, agile editing by Spanish José Cañizares,above average budget) and the "popular" feel of Atlântida (especiallybecause of slapstick comedienne Dercy Gonçalves in the cast and thetacky — or kitsch if you will — staging of the musical numbers).Though plagued by a fatally banal plot, Duarte's debut as director issurprisingly assured, undoubtedly helped by the experienced crew. Thereare two really good sequences in the streets of São Paulo (one in awhite Jaguar, the other in a streetcar), better than average soundrecording and well-staged fistfights. What it lacks — direly — isreal laughs.

Besides loudmouth Dercy Gonçalves (who's so over-the-top she'shysterically unfunny; notice she's made up to look like Fellini'sGelsomina), the cast includes gorgeous kittenish Odete Lara in a starturn as a double-cross blonde, parading her sexy hourglass figure,dancing provocatively, doing her own singing, driving a Romi Isetta(which MUST be the frailest, wackiest car ever made) and giving Duartea French kiss (very bold at the time); Lyris Castellani in the "Zezé"number, who owned the thickest, meatiest pair of thighs ever employedin dancing; and craggy faced Brazilian boxing champ Paulo de Jesus, inthe underdeveloped small role of a struggling boxer who has his armbroken by Raul's gang.

Don't expect much, but don't underestimate "Absolutamente Certo" –it's from the time when a "good director" meant an "efficient director"and a "good comedy" meant a "popular comedy", before the auteur theoryand the Cinema Novo (New Wave) movement changed Brazilian movies in the60s. Duarte tries but can't quite mix comedy and drama (few filmmakerscan, anyway), but he had ambition and drive: remember his next film was"O Pagador de Promessas/The Given Word/The Payer of Promises" (1962),big winner of Cannes' Golden Palm (against formidable competition) andOscar-nominated for Best Foreign Film.

Overall, "Absolutamente Certo" is a harmless pastime, an honest filmand a curious period piece, if only to see how Odete Lara and São Paulolooked like in the late 50s . But it's certainly ironic that it dealswith (and criticizes) the public's fascination with then incipient TVindustry in Brazil — the very same TV industry that in just a few moreyears would wipe the "chanchadas" off Brazilian screens, by ripping offits themes, stars, style and form.

2) I remember seeing this movie on TV, I don’t think it was in the cinemashere. I thought it was a wonderful movie – a touching, endearingportrait of the village and its people, which in all light-heartedquirkiness yet raised a whole range of significant points about theseSlovaks. Family traditions, the attitude towards/of the local Roma, thelack of opportunities and the philosophical way the locals deal withthat, the almost-sweet insistence on disbelieving Warhol was gay …This is a small town in an outlying region that lives in its own world,by its own logic, that yet reflects the wider reality of life inEast-Slovakia. And the movie playfully but effectively underscores thatpoint by highlighting the surrealness of the Warhol Museum in thosesurroundings …

Definitely a joy to see for anyone remotely interested in that area ofthe world or just willing to let himself be taken on a curious voyage… only if you’re a Warhol fan insisting to be provided with yet newfacts or interpretations about the man or his art, you might bedisappointed, because that’s not really what the movie is about.

3) I am probably one of a few that can truly appreciate this movie. I’vebeen to the Warhol museum in Medzilaborce, and I can laugh at thedichotomy of one of Pop Art’s finest in the far NE corner of a smallformer communist country, Slovakia. Some of you ‘reviewers’ have evenmistakenly called it the Czech Republic! I believe the creators of thisdocumentary took the premise of finding a Warhol tribute in a placethat its citizen’s would be the last to appreciate his work in order tointroduce the rest of the world to the plight of the Eastern Slovak.Unemployment, bigotry toward the Roma, alcoholism, depression … thesepeople don’t have an idea of how to seek something better andtherefore, have told themselves that they are content. The cousin whothrough away some of the pieces that Andy sent as a gift – she doesn’teven seem to regret! I served 1.5 years as a Peace Corps volunteer inSlovakia, and if there was a way to condense my entire experience into1.5 hours to help someone understand the Slovak culture/repression,this was it: Absolut Warhola.

4) For the most part I agree with the negative review posted below but I haveafew other choice comments. As someone who has researched and obsessedoverWarhol for years I have to say that this film is incredibly misleading inpresenting itself as a film that has something to do with Warhol. It hasinall actuality very little. Filmmaker Stanislaw Mucha, led by a man who issupposed to be the Ruthenian Andy Warhol lookalike, wanders around Mikova,the Czech village where Warhol’s mother and father descend from. The filmfocuses itself on the supposed Aunts, cousins and distant relations ofWarhol – people who know little about his personal life and share littletono appreciation or understanding of his art. Many of them have never evenseen a picture of Warhol himself. All of these people seem to have theirown interpretation of Warhol’s myth. They all claim him as their own,speaking of Warhol as though he were actually born in the Czech republic,and believe he was eager to return to Mikova before his untimely death in1987. All of them refuse to acknowledge Warhol’s homosexuality – in theonly section of the film that truly makes a statement – claiming that nohomosexuals ever came from Mikova, so there is no way that Warhol was a"you-know-what." They have never seen Warhol’s Torso series (ofpornographic gay sex images) or his Oxidation (piss) paintings, nor wouldthey understand or appreciate them. Their interpretation of the 1969shooting of Warhol (detailed in "I Shot Andy Warhol,") is believed by mostof these men and women to be a lover’s quarrel that occured when Valeria,Warhol’s girlfriend, wanted to marry him but he turned her down. They usethis delusion to support their theory that he was not homosexual. Onewomanalso describes her disdain for the paintings that Warhol once supposedlysent back to her, eventually throwing out what today would likely be worthhundreds of millions of dollars. Warhol’s alcoholic aunt comments, "Helooks like a monkey," when she sees her first picture of him.

The film really never explores what is the central irony of these people -that Warhol spent his life erasing negative aspects of his personality andhistory from the public persona that defined him. He would never havetraveled back to such a squalid un-glamorous village, and when in oneinstance Diana Vreeland referred to him as being from Czechoslovakia heinsisted that he didn’t know what she was talking about – he was "FromPittsburgh." He disliked the intense ethnicity of his background, andremained distant from his family except for his mother, for whom he careduntil he sent her to live in a nursing home where she died a few yearslater. The filmmakers never really explore Warhol himself, why exactly itwas that he chose to erase perceived negative aspects of himself -homosexuality, ethnicity – from his image. In fact, the people in thefilmrepresent the kind of puritanical, bigoted, and un-artistic point of viewthat Warhol so dismayed and escaped from with both his art and his lifestyle. Even his close family members did not appreciate his art, and heremained distant with both his brothers, who swooped in upon his death toclaim his fortune, along with everyone else. The villagers of Mikova, whorefuse to admit Warhol’s homosexuality, and can’t understand or admire hisart, myopically claim him as their own but are never confronted with theirown delusions.But perhaps that is not even the point. For it is also the people whoclaimto appreciate his art who are also delusional. The owner of the WarholMuseum in a nearby town sees no need to repair the leaky room which on adaily basis leaks buckets of water into a room filled with expensiveprintsof Warhol’s work. He also refuses to admit the gypsies of that samevillageinto the museum. Warhol would have been aghast at this movie, in both theintrusion into the ugly minds of his ancestors, and the failure to reallbeanything but boring.After the interesting moments I’ve mentioned occured, the filmdescends quickly into filler moments – an Andy Warhol double tries to walkto the supermarket to buy a can of soup, a Slovakian rock group led by themuseum’s owner sings horrible songs about Warhol in the square, while thesqualid and impoverished villagers look on, bewildered, and in the finalhalf hour of the film, there is little to look at except drunken peasantssinging endless Slovakian folk songs, until the blissful moment of thecredits fills the screen. This is not really a film about Warhol, but notreally a film about Warhol’s relatives either. The filmmakers likely hadwide access to archival materials detailing Andy Warhol’s mother, who losther first baby and traveled to America to be with her husband, but all thefilmmakers give us is a tree where the two supposedly met. It’s clearthatpitching this film as a film about Warhol may have enabled the filmmakerstofind funding more easily, but they’ve really squandered their opportunitytomake a thoroughly effective and intelligent piece that explores all sidesofthe Warhol mythology. Andy deserves a better film than this. He wouldhavehated it.