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15 Minutes (2001)
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Genre: |
Crime/Drama |
Director: |
John Herzfeld
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Rating: |
R |
Running Time: |
120 Minutes |
Release Date: |
March 9, 2001 |
Official Website: |
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Movie Trailer: |
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Discuss and vote: |
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Cast: |
Robert De Niro
Edward Burns
Vera Farmiga
Kelsey Grammer
Melina Kanakaredes
Avery Brooks
Oleg Taktarov
Karel Roden
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Pickup Line: What A Sad Commentary On Our Times...
Quickie: A celebrity cop and green Fire Marshal go after two foreign criminals (one Russian, one Czech), who go on a killing and videotaping spree in New York, hoping to become famous for their notoriety. Aaaaah, the influences of Monica Lewinsky and "Jerry Springer" are rampant!
The Long Review:
"15 Minutes" is a sad, satirical, and alarming commentary on our times. We live in a society where the law doesn't always warrant justice: Heartless criminals walk away, victims are left uncompensated, and the media capitalizes on the unspeakable deeds of conscienceless individuals. "15 Minutes" demonstrates this statement quite boldly.
"15 Minutes" stars Robert De Niro as Eddie Fleming, a celebrity supercop, thanks to his ties to Robert Hawkins (Kelsey Grammar), star of "Top Story," a fictionalized version of the tabloid show "Hard Copy" and his romantic relationship with a newswoman, Nicolette (Melina Kanakaredes). When a duo of foreign criminals, Emil (Karel Roden) and Oleg (Oleg Taktarov) arrive in New York and embark on a major killing spree, Fleming teams up with Jordy Warsaw (Edward Burns) to bring the duo to justice.
Here's where this movie takes a jab at the American justice system. Emil decides to kill his way towards fame after watching a couple of American television shows showcasing dangerous criminals not only getting away scott-free by pleading insanity but also profiting from their crimes. Emil decides that he'll become famous in the States, too, by committing a high-profile crime while Oleg, an aspiring filmmaker, records all the grisly details. One line sums up the duo's plan and their impression of America: "No one is responsible for what they do!"
This movie's plot is interesting, timely, and provocative. You'll find yourself unsure whether you're supposed to be aghast or amused. We found ourselves being a little bit of both. You know that the story portrayed in the movie, although incredible, is possible. There are a lot of sickos out there, and the media is only too happy to capitalize on their twistedness all for the sake of high ratings. And guess what? Society (yeah, that's us!) is sadistic enough to watch the tasteless carp that tabloid shows throw our way. Oh, there's also a lot of gore and violence in this movie, so if you're against all that, either cover your eyes or skip seeing the movie entirely.
But if you're a true-blue De Niro fan, you just might brave all the blood and guts to see the ol' man in action. He portrays the role of expert, alcoholic, sardonic top cop to a tee, making you feel total respect for all expert, alcoholic, sardonic top cops out there. Edward Burns turns in a touching performance as well, although his pathetic excuse for a man's voice deters from his credibility. Man, has this guy not gone through puberty or what? He squeaks like a mouse with a sore throat! Kelsey Grammar as a sleazy tabloid show host is perfect for his role as well. You just want to wring his neck! And that duo…Karel Roden and Oleg Taktarov…you just want to tell them to &#*! themselves and go to hell. They're so evil! But entertaining. But evil all the same!
The one complaint we have about this movie is that it doesn't stay true to its title. "15 Minutes" our asses! This film just seemed to drag on and on. I mean, it's an interesting plot and all, but there are just some scenes they could have done without. John Herzfeld really wanted to get his point across, we get that, but c'mon. Get on with the show! We would have gotten his point, really, without the extra 157 scenes or so. It almost seems like Herzfeld is making too much of a statement but sometimes, less is more. 'Know what we're sayin'? Interestingly enough, Ebert does not share our sentiment regarding the dragging quality of the film. He says, "His movie may overachieve, may weary sometimes as it hurries between plot lines, but I prefer this kind of energy and ambition to a plodding exercise in action cliches. Herzfeld has something he wants to say." To which we say, "…hurries between plot lines"? Geez, if that's hurrying, what's slowing down?
Overall, "15 Minutes" is a bold movie that makes a point. There's a lot to walk away with after watching it. But is it a movie worth haul-assing to the theatres for? Hmmm…so-so. We're sure you'll come away with as much enlightenment by watching it on video as you would by spending good money to see it in the big screen. The message this movie sends will be heard, alright, no matter which format you watch it in. And besides, if you wait for it to come out on video, you can press the "pause" button amidst all the useless scenes and take a pee-pee break!
In Two Minutes:
Did you know?
- Robert De Niro apparently received less pay for this movie than he did for "Ronin." Wha?! He actually got paid to make that crap movie? We thought it was a volunteer position…since it was so bad and all. We were actually thinking that perhaps the audience who made the big mistake of watching "Ronin" should get paid for what they had to do. Agree?
- Edward Burns used to be a go-for guy for "Entertainment Tonight." And we all thought people who work at that show would never amount to anything!
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