15 MINUTES(2001)
This has Robert DeNiro and Kelsey Grammer in it, along with
Avery Brooks! The story is about a couple of dudes from Russia/
Chech who have come to America to collect some money owed to
them(no reason given)! One thing leads to death(3 fold) and
Deniro, Brooks and Burns start a manhunt for the perps!
This is kind of a commentary about the problems that the
media cause by celebrating both good guys and bad!
There's much violence and some nudity! This is one weird-
ass film!! B-
From Amazon.com:
15 Minutes wants to be provocative, but it exists in an
alternate reality where rules of logic and credibility
no longer apply. In his underrated film 2 Days in the Valley,
writer-director John Herzfeld wryly exposed the underbelly
of California's San Fernando Valley, but in the artificial New
York City of 15 Minutes, he attempts a timely mixture of satire
and social commentary that's only marginally convincing.
Herzfeld's premise is both vivid and valid in addressing the
deterioration of morals in American mass media, but in
exploring the dark side of fame, the last few minutes of
Taxi Driver have more impact than this entire movie.
Robert De Niro stars as Eddie Flemming, a hotshot homicide
detective whose current double-murder case teams him
with arson investigator Jordy Warsaw (Edward Burns). Their
investigation leads to a pair of Eastern European nut-jobs
(one Czech, one Russian) who've embarked on an impromptu
killing spree--all captured on video by the Russian, who fancies
himself an auteur of the American dream. In a pileup of
contrivances, a reporter (Melina Kanakaredes) is also Eddie's
girlfriend, and a tabloid TV host (Kelsey Grammer) seeks the
killers' video with the scruples of Adolf Hitler. Blink and you'll
miss Charlize Theron in a throwaway role, but that's nothing
compared to the killing of a major character--a scene devoid
of emotion that's more grist for the media mill. With appalling
bloodlust, 15 Minutes sheds a sickening light on America's
twisted character, but instead of illuminating, it only darkens
the gloom. --Jeff Shannon