Absence of Malice

Investigator Rosen and his team get nowhere with the disappearance of a union figure. Realizing they are stuck they manipulate journalist Megan into making a connection between the case and liquor importer Michael Gallagher, who just happens to be from a not quite clean family background.

In reality, there is nothing that suggests that Michael himself has anything to do with anything but law enforcement's idea is that he could get them some information on the case in exchange for being left alone. Michael Gallagher is rightly pissed off and tries to find his way out of his troubles.

He does actually have a solid alibi for the time of the disappearance, as well, that he does not wish to share. He was in Atlanta with a friend to support her after she had had an abortion. After Megan talks to said friend and - despite being asked not to - uses the abortion story in a news story, the woman commits suicide.

DA Quinn gets involved in the story as well, offering Gallagher that he makes a statement clearing that their investigation in his business brought no result and Gallagher is cleared of any wrongdoing. In exchange, he too expects information on the union figure.

In the end, it all comes to blows with both Rosen and Quinn losing their jobs.

6/10

Lincoln

So, this is it. The film that received 12 nominations for the Academy Awards. And it was.....okay.

Daniel Day-Lewis was fantastic (obviously), as were Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Fields. However, most of the film was really, really, really slow. One could have easily clipped off a few minutes here and there.

The most entertaining parts were the ones that Daniel Day-Lewis was not even in - the discussions in the House and the trio Spader/Hawkes/Nelson going about their task of getting a few of the Democrats on their side. Everything in between is laden with kitsch and pathos.

Oh and am I the only one that thinks Steven Spielberg gets nominated as a matter of course?

6/10