Paul Newman was very much a movie star by the time the 80s rolled around.

His rebelliousness was appealing, and his smile was box-office gold.

He looks older, wiser, and has a sense of watchful stillness in his performances.

The scripts are challenging, at times controversial, and far from predictable.

There are no easy answers to the problems raised.

But this isnt just is a New York version of that film.

It has less structure and offers less in the way of answers.

Every single character suffers, most of them also cause a lot of suffering.

What the film does well is to present two different forms of police ideology.

Theres also a great turn by Danny Aiello as a policeman who takes the law into his own hands.

EvenDirty Harrygives Callaghan a moment in which he defeats the bad guy.Fort Apachehas no such reassurances.

Absence Of Malice (1981)

There are a lot of brilliant films about the newspaper business.

Not inAbsence Of Malice.

Is she to blame for the events that follow?

Is there any way to redress a wrong triggered by the misdirection of public scrutiny?

Although it was made over thirty years ago, the questions raised inAbsence Of Malicefeel very pertinent to today.

Everything leads, quite slowly at times, to a final scene with Wilford Brimley that is just brilliant.

Out of the entire film, thats the area that feels most dated to me.

Still, who can begrudge a star turn from Brimley?

Hes such a wonderful actor.

This isnt a romantic comedy set in a newsroom; nor is it about solving the crime.

If you go in without preconceptions, its all the better for it.

I know what happens in the end, and still Im glued.

It might be Newmans finest moment as an actor, the final minutes ofThe Verdict.

But he really makes the most of it.

There are strong performances all round, though.

Its an uncomfortable film because its about watching mistakes happen.

Everybody makes mistakes, the film tells us.

The question is what are we going to do about it?

Newman manages to suggest a journey of personal retribution that is dragged out of him.

He doesnt just see the light.

He hides behind other people, and behind beer and sex and friends who want to help him.

Becoming a better person is a really painful business.

Dont let that get in the way of watching the performance, though.

But when do the Oscars ever get things right?