Redundant and unnecessary.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Movies in which separate story lines converge are tricky to pull off, and "96 Minutes" is an example of the ways in which it can go wrong. This is not to say that the film is a total failure or even bad; it simply doesn't reach its full potential. Writer/director Aimee Lagos is obviously sincere in her efforts, and through her characters and the desperate situation four of them end up in, she makes some valid points about class, race, and the legal system. The issue is not the intent, but the execution. Some of the dialogue, for one thing, is just shy of preachy, which in turn makes specific situations seem mechanical and forced. There's also the fact that, because the story weaves several story lines together, it occasionally veers into territory that's either completely incidental or so distantly related that its overall effect is negligible.It also doesn't adequately explain the ninety-six minutes referred to in the title, seeing as the film takes place over the course of roughly a day. In all likelihood, it's a reference to an incident in which the lives of four people are irrevocably changed. I'll delve into that more in a minute. For the time being, let me reiterate that the film has all the right ingredients. What it lacks is a practical method of stirring them together into a cohesive and satisfying whole. Having said that, there is a certain degree of power to the ending, in which the fates of two characters are revealed. It's not simply of outcome; we are made to really think about what has happened to them and why. It effectively addresses the notion that in life we have choices, and with those choices come good or bad consequences.The film freely shifts back and forth through time, intercutting between a dramatic carjacking and the events leading up to it. For the purposes of clarity, I'll go against its freeform structure and describe the plot in chronological order. Taking place in Georgia, we meet a college student named Carley (Brittany Snow), who studies law and is usually too busy to take a break from schoolwork. This is largely due to her father, and while he's never seen, it's made perfectly clear that he places great pressure on his daughter to succeed. He tells her over the phone that he'll be too busy to attend her graduation. That's not the one that counts, anyway; he'll be there when she graduates from law school, which has always been the plan for her. But does she really want to become a lawyer?Next, we meet a high school student named Dre (Evan Ross), who comes from a crime-infested neighborhood and attends the kind of high school where you have to pass through a metal detector at the entrance. Although he has been working hard academically and is eligible to graduate, he finds himself torn between pursuing an education and staying loyal to his gang roots. Part of him knows that, in the real world, he will be seen as yet another African American statistic. His dilemma is exacerbated by his friend, Kevin (J. Michael Trautmann), an angry sixteen-year-old. He lives with his mom, who's not only negligent but is also dating a man that abuses them both. Kevin doesn't attend school. He has no prospects. His only goal is to join a local gang. They tell him to steal someone's car, although they have no intention of letting him in.Dre takes Kevin to an area just outside of the college in an attempt to offer a healthier means of escape. A confession leads to an altercation, which then motivates Kevin to go through with a carjacking. As it so happens, Carley has just left a bar with one of her classmates, Lena (Christian Serratos), who knows her boyfriend is a womanizing jerk and yet can't stand the thought of him not loving her. As they reach Carely's SUV, they're approached by Kevin, who at gunpoint demands that they both get in. Lena isn't as quick to react, and so Kevin shoots her. Dre, now in a panic, takes the driver's seat. What is he to do? If he does the right thing and takes Lena to the hospital, both he and Kevin will get caught, and both their futures will forever be ruined. If he lets Kevin kill both Lena and Carley, they may escape, but he will have a tremendous burden weighing on his conscience.At no point are Dre's current living circumstances made entirely clear. We see him living alone in a barren house, and while it is feasible to assume that he's taking care of himself, he has no apparent source of income. The film is further weakened by several superfluous and barely related subplots, one being Lena's relationship with her roommate and her insecurities over her boyfriend. Another involves the owner of a small barbecue restaurant, whose primary function is to conveniently reappear at a time when he's needed most. We learn about his nephew, who has finally discovered girls and is ready to start dating. This is compelling in and of itself, but as part of "96 Minutes," it's just filler material. This movie doesn't quite work, although I do give Lagos credit for trying.-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)

What's wrong with the ratings these days?96 minutes is a failed attempt to make a film.What you should expect: Ridiculous character behavior, Clichés all over the place, Repeats, artificial drama, bad soundtrack.If you would like to see a film using this approach of story telling, go and take a look at Crash 2004. Did the producers actually think about the audience? People go the movies to enjoy their time, pay money and then they get this? This garbage. This movie is not entertaining, which is OK, if it at least would have other values, something like a message etc. But no, it doesn't have anything which hasn't already been shown or said in a better way. This one is just a waste of time and as always, don't believe the ratings, this one will end up at 4/10.I gave it a 1/10 because I wanted my time back after seeing this, the worst thing which can happen to a film.

I did not like this movie at all. The screenplay was horrible, and the acting was even worse. I am gonna tell everyone i know not to watch this movie. Whoever wrote and directed this movie must be fresh out of film school. It just plain sucked. From beginning to end. It was in the 5 worst movies of all time. The character Kevin was the worst. Dre was next. And Carly was third. Why did Dre listen to the little dumb white boy. Why didn't Carly tell the guy that found her about her friend? This was just poorly written and i hope Aimee Lagos doesn't do anymore movies anytime soon. Thank you very much for wasting my time. And what was the scene about when the uncle called the nephew on his cell phone? If he had a phone why didn't he call the cops? And what was the scene about in the jail cell at the end. It just showed a white screen outside the cell window. Direction was horrible as well.

"I never should have gotten out of bed this morning." Carley (Snow) is about to graduate from college and her father isn't interested in attending. Lena (Serratos) just found out that her boyfriend is cheating on her. Dre (Ross) just found out that he will be able to graduate high school and finally has found a way out of gang life. Kevin (Trautmann) wants nothing more then to join a gang. When him and Dre get into an argument that ends up in carjacking the car that belongs to Carley with Lena has a passenger. The best way to describe this is "Crash" with teens. Total strangers who are all connected by one event that threatens to ruin all of them. This is very moving, powerful and intense. I highly recommend this one but much like "Crash" it's not really one you can watch over and over. The acting is great and the movie is a mix of flashbacks and current events that really make you feel connected to the characters and find your self sad and angry all at once. Overall, a surprisingly good movie that deserves to be watched. I give it a B+