Absence of Malice follows Megan Carter (Sally Field), a newswoman who is on a mission to report details on the disappearance of a person. Throughout the film, Megan investigates a man named Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman), and gets herself involved in legal troubles. The story, simply put, consists of Megan writing stories containing factual information, yet these stories also have sensitive, personal details. This results in her negatively impacting certain characters in the film. The film delivers its message well, yet the story has numerous problems scattered throughout.
Starting off this review are the positives. The story is cleverly written, and it's fairly complex. The leads, Megan and Gallagher, are portrayed by their actors realistically. The film was entertaining enough to keep me attached to the screen, listening attentively to every detail discussed among the characters. The message regarding how the truth may become misinterpreted through the news was intriguing.
The relationship between the two leading characters, Megan and Gallagher, starts off as platonic, but then slowly drifts into a romantic one. This direction between the main characters was unnecessary, and added seemingly nothing to the film's core message. The film could've been fine if there was an absence of romance.
Towards the end of the film, everything culminates to a confrontation in a room among the primary characters, where legal issues are settled. While some clever and humorous lines were exchanged, there isn't anything thrilling about the scene at all. All of the gradual buildup in the film never pays off due to a climax without pleasure.
Overall, the film communicates its message of truthfulness in journalism effectively, but the film's drama may not be for everyone.
Review of Absence of Malice
