Absence of Malice (1981) * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Sydney Pollack

Starring:  Paul Newman, Sally Field, Josef Sommer, Melinda Dillon, Wilford Brimley, Bob Balaban, Don Hood

Those who believe the media is shady and fake would love Absence of Malice.   The movie gives anti-media people plenty of ammunition.   If the movie stuck it out as a story about journalism ethics and the damage that occurs when such ethics are violated, then Absence of Malice would've been better.   It instead bogs down in an illogical and unconvincing romantic relationship between its leads.   Wilford Brimley injects life into the final thirty minutes as a no-nonsense federal investigator, but by then the movie is too sunk to be rescued.  

The pity is: The setup is compelling.  A desperate federal agent (Balaban) investigating the disappearance of a Miami union leader opens an investigation into Michael Gallagher (Newman), the son of a mafioso who runs a legitimate liquor distributorship.  There is no earthly reason for the agent to investigate Michael, and no reason to leak the matter to reporter Megan Carter (Field), but he does both and a shitstorm ensues.  

Megan has no corroboration that Michael is crooked, but the paper runs the story anyway (back in the day when newspapers were printed on paper and not online).   Michael shows up at the reporter's desk asking where the story came from.  Megan spills her coffee and the two begin an awkward and frankly unnecessary journey to romance, all while the investigation goes further down a rabbit hole no one anticipated. 

Michael isn't the type of guy to take this sort of thing lying down, especially when the story causes harm to his lifelong best friend Teresa (Dillon) who knows Michael is innocent.   For the most part, Michael is a legitimate businessman who has distanced himself from his mafia family, but that doesn't mean he is above calling on his family for favors when he hatches his plan for revenge.   It's a simple, but effective plan.     

Absence of Malice flies off the rails when it expects us to believe Michael and Megan would fall for each other, even after what happens to the troubled Teresa when a follow-up news story is printed.  There is little chemistry between the otherwise likable Michael and Megan.  I can believe Michael is a liquor distributor falling on hard times.  I can't believe Megan is a hard-nosed, aggressive reporter who would eschew her responsibilities so easily.   Field is comes across as too nice to be playing such a role.  She's a child in a grownups' game.  Newman, with his grizzled mannerisms and intelligence, is right at home.   

As mentioned, Wilford Brimley shows up in the final act as a fed trying to figure out who did what to whom.   He lays down the law in the authentic, no-bullshit way which made Brimley such a reliable actor.   But even after everything is settled, we are left underwhelmed because it took the wrong turn at the fork in the road.    A promising beginning led to a muddled end.