Absence of Malice

Absence of Malice (1981)
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon, Josef Sommer, Wilford Brimley

It's hard for a movie to be subtle and obvious at the same time, but that's how Absence of Malice comes across. Parts of it are handled with subtlety and deftness while other parts are blunt and in your face.

The Plot of Absence of Malice
Michael Colin Gallagher (Newman) is a small business operator just trying to get by. The problem is that he just happens to be the son of a dead Mafia boss. The other problem is that some people can't let the past be the past. Megan (Field) is a plucky reporter who get manipulated by a ruthless prosecutor (Balaban) into start an investigation into Gallagher, after making allegations that Gallagher is somehow involved in a potential murder.

Gallegher confronts Megan and the sparks fly. Things only get worse as Gallagher's life starts to unravel. But there is something about Gallagher that convinces Megan that he might not be guilty as charged and she digs deeper to find discover him innocent. There's a brief turnaround and a romance ensues as Gallagher's troubles start to remedy themselves. That is until a very close friend (Dillon) of Gallagher comes to his aid but a deep personal cost.

Gallagher decides that it's time to take control of the situation and turns the tables on those in a position of power and plays them masterfully. All the while, Megan is forced to face the ugly dilemmas of being a reporter.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Absence of Malice
Newman gives us a cool and controlled character, keeping his scenes sparse rather than histrionic. Fields probably overplays cute as the spunky reporter, but her portrayal is not a total loss. The supporting cast of Balaban, Dillon, and Sommer all bring their considerable talents to the role and are every bit convincing. Wilford Brimely comes in at the last act and shows a lot of charisma as a crusty lawyer sent into clean up a royal mess.

Pollack lets the story move at it's own pace and at times this works, but in other places, the movie seems to meander without finding any dynamism. Despite this, the movie is still enjoyable as the story is compelling and the actors so good.

My only other bone to pick with the movie is that Dave Gruisin score seems dated and some of the cues overwrought. This is just an example of a director wanting to capture the essence of the times of when the movie was made.

Summary Judgment on Absence of Malice
Newman makes the movie, pure and simple. His controlled performance is compelling. The story does a good job of dissecting how easy it is for the media to manipulated. While not a barn burner, Absence of Malice is worth your attention.