The White House whodunit Murder at 1600 came out about the same time as the similarly themed Clint Eastwood film Absolute Power, which was also about a philandering president and his dead mistress. Eastwood may have the critical heat, but I prefer this pulpier, more action-oriented version.
Wesley Snipes — then the king of other enjoyable-yet-middling vehicles like The Art of War, Passenger 57 and U.S. Marshals — is a D.C. detective, named Regis of all things! He’s called to the White House when a pretty young employee is found dead in the bathroom following a round of hot, late-night sex. His investigation is compromised by the White House’s unwillingness to participate, despite him being assigned a Secret Service liaison (Diane Lane).
What exactly is the president’s administration covering up? And for whom? You’ll find out toward the end of a slightly bloated running time. Dennis Miller co-stars as Snipes’ co-worker, and while he may have been a great comedian once upon a time, he’s grating as a dramatic actor, so it’s hard not to applaud when he takes a bullet. —Rod Lott
“Ingratiating” – Rod, I don’t think that word means what you think it means.
I’m with you, I like this movie more than the Eastwood “Absolute Power”, partly because Snipes knows he’s in a movie to kick ass and delivers, and partly because Eastwood was way too old to play the role of the thief. Nextup for Snipes: underground prison fighting fr money, run by a corrupt warden…
You’re absolutely right. I wrote that review more than 10 years ago, and now I can’t recall what word I meant. So I’ll change it to something. Thanks for pointing it out.
You had me at “Diane Lane.”