Why so much hype?

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

A different way of telling a story

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

15 MINUTES is an acceptable modern-day crime thriller that takes time out to satirise the media and take a look at people's penchant for their '15 minutes of fame' which if everything is even more prevalent than it was fifteen years ago when this film was made. Although it features a headlining role for Robert De Niro, given his limited screen time he often feels like a supporting player in his own movie, with the hard-working Edward Burns as the main lead.The scene-stealing roles are given to Karel Roden and Oleg Taktarov, who excel as a pair of East European immigrants who arrive in New York and begin a crime spree. The story as it unfolds is resolutely gruesome and fitfully exciting, with some great set-pieces to enjoy, particularly a fiery one towards the climax. The casting director has done well to bring of interesting performers in, including the likes of Avery Brooks and Vera Farmiga, while Kelsey Grammar seems born to play the weaselly tabloid reporter.

John Herzfield's 15 Minutes is a mean spirited little slice of satirical fun, with an eclectic, nihilistic vibe that grabs you, holds on and stings after. It deals with the media's fixation on lurid, disgusting human beings and the violent acts they commit, glorifying such spectacle and pouring salt in the wound simply for rating. Robert Deniro plays NY detective Eddie Flemming, a burnt out hero cop who stages busts so the press can see him in action and get the scoop. When two demented, psychopathic eastern European guys come to town to collect an old debt, they go on an impulsive crime spree and discover that by filming their crimes and peddling the footage to a sleazeball news network they can gain money, and notoriety. Fleming and a rookie arson investigator (Ed Burns) are soon on their trail as their rampage reaches feverish heights of heinous villainy. Karel Roden, an astoundingly good Czech actor, gives the best work of the film as the lead nut job, giving us a grinning, cunning, joker esque portrait of evil. MMA fighter Oleg Taktarov is deadpan good as his child like, brutish companion. Kelsey Grammar plays the amoral, smutty news anchor expertly, and there's great work from David Alan Grier, Melinda Kanakaredes, Vera Farmiga, and a nice cameo from Charlize Theron. The film knows it has to be unpleasant to get its point across, and has fun with the twitchy, almost Tony Scott like excess of style. The heart of the film rests with Roden and Taktarov though, follow in them almost like protagonists and letting them do their thing, like a nightmare, Slavic version of Laurel and Hardy. It's a deliciously twisted little flick with some cool ideas, a great cast and a cheerfully trashy style.

15 Minutes (2001): Dir: John Herzfeld / Cast: Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammar, Vera Farmiga, Karel Roden: Thriller where two psychotic killers commit murders via camcorder as if it was their 15 minutes of fame. They believe that the media will support them in their plea of insanity. Robert De Niro plays a celebrity cop who arrives upon crime sites with cameras trailing him. Edward Burns plays a rookie cop who believes that a woman on the scene is connected. Kelsey Grammar plays a talk show host hoping to make a name for himself filming De Niro's investigations. Great concept is well directed by John Herzfeld who plays this like a reality TV segment. De Niro does well as the celebrity cop investigating the crime. He is set to propose to his girlfriend before tragedy strikes. He is involved in a nonsense scene where he fights two guys while taped to a chair. Burns steals the film as the rookie cop pushed to the limits when someone close to him is murdered for entertainment. When made a concluding offer he answers with swift aggression. Grammar as the media host is a corrupt sort who learns rather bluntly that Burns cannot be bought. Vera Farmiga plays a witness whom the killers track down through escort services. Karel Roden and Oleg Taktarov are well cast as the criminals and they steal the film with their media frenzy and 15 minutes. Score: 9 / 10

There is a ton I was offended by watching this preach-a-minute, vapid attempt at an intelligent action/political film. Here are the main things, lest I begin to ramble:1. Ethnocentric World View - This is supposed to be an indictment of American media? Message movies that play to cultural stereotypes drive me crazy. These two Eastern European thugs come to America, watch a show about forgiveness, and decide that they're going to teach America a lesson by embarking on a murderous rampage? If this was made a few years later it would have been two Muslim men instead of Russian. This is terrible, mainly because the writer is trying to present these lofty ideas about humanity and the immorality of American media, all the time while playing to cultural stereotypes that do nothing but reinforce racism. The low-brow stereotypes don't stop there either, David Alan Grier has a cute part where he is an angry black guy in the park who tried to rob the wrong guy. His relevance to the plot? Nothing but to add a little touch of humor ... seriously? 2. Hypocrisy - This film was distributed by New Line Home Video, an 'indie' subsidiary of Warner Bros. Super progressive Warner Bros. who are major players in the empire 15 Minutes is coming out against. Why would Warner Bros, or New Line, put out a movie that could incite a revolution and cause millions of people to reevaluate the way they watch media? Well, Bobby De Niro's in it, so you know it's good for at least breaking even ... plus the movie is no good, so no one will really talk about it.The real crime, however, and the major reason I believe it didn't work, it that it is just so incredibly smug. There are other 'message' movies that exist that all fall into the same pitfalls as I discussed above, but 15 Minutes is so smug and pretentious about it's message that it falls flat.Rating: 16/40