15 Minutes
Written and Directed by: John Herzfeld
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammar

I’ll just come right out and say it: this movie was not that great. Am I surprised? Not really. I always think thatif DeNiro is in a movie, it is probably somewhat worthwhile. I keepforgetting that he has been in his share of duds. Like Rocky And Bullwinkle. Stupid me.

Robert DeNiro plays a veteran homicide detective named Eddie Fleming who is a bit of alocal hero in NYC. He is loved by all the journalists, and always gives them the inside scoopon the cases he is working on. In fact, he is even planning on proposing to one of the newsreporters (meaning, he wants to marry her dumbass!).

Along come Oleg and Emil, two Czechoslovakians who have travelled to New York City to collectsome money that is owed to them. Oleg is obsessed with films, and acts like an excitedlittle kid because of the fact that he is in America, where so many great movies were made.He buys a camcorder at a local store, and begins to carry it around on their journey.When their collection attempts turn violent and become a series of murders, their adventuresbecome the source material for Oleg’s first feature film. At first Emil is annoyed by havingthe camera around, but he starts to go a little nutty, overwhelmed by his newfounddesire for fame.

The movie lacks cohesion and consistency.15 Minutes doesn’t really know what it’s trying to be. On one hand it’sreally comic and goofy, but on the other hand it’s very gruesome andrealistic. Then there are these cheesy love stories intertwined too.It’s difficult as a viewer to make the transitions from the goofy moments to theserious moments. It makes the serious moments seem very pretentious and unintentionallyfunny.

Not only does the movie have a lot of mixed up ideas, but it has a lot of mismatched actors too.The relationship between Eddie Fleming and the fire marshall (Edward Burns)is very inconsistent and awkward.The fire marshall continually makes up all these stupid excuses for tagging along with DeNiro.At first DeNiro plays the tough cop who doesn’t need help, then suddenly he changes his mindand gets all buddy-buddy with him.

I hate to say it, but I think the acting was just bad in this film. Even DeNiro seemed really woodenon more than one occasion. After telling a girl that her friend wasmurdered he follows this up by asking, “Are you okay? Do you want a glass of water?” Gee, what a sweet guy.

There are a lot of wack cameos too. David Alan Grier of In LivingColour fame plays a spineless mugger who ends up getting handcuffed to a treeby the fire marshall (Fire Marshall Bill?)and he sits there whining in his high pitched voice. Then later in the moviewe see him all seriously pleading his case against a court… what was with that?Then of course, we have Darius McCrary (best known as Eddy from Family Matters) playingan eager rookie cop who looks up to Eddie Fleming.Having Frasier as the “evil” media guy didn’t work either. Frasier just doesn’t seem evilenough. I think the only actor who really got the job done was Avery Brooks.

John Herzfeld, who previously directed 2 Days In The Valley, doesn’t seem to be one forsubtlety or minimalism.The style of the movie is also all over the map. The music mix is eclectic and annoying.He overuses the handheld camera shots, in an attempt to be artsy, but in the endit just seems cheesy.

15 Minutes is a movie that attempts to deliver some sort of social message, but it alljust gets lost in the confusion. Not to mention the fact that the message itselfis nothing particularly original. How many times have we heard people debating the glorificationof violence in the media?

I’m all for posing questions and delivering messages in movies, but there’s nothing morefrustrating than a movie that reaches for that goal and doesn’t quite get there. If onlythere was a little less goofiness, and a little more depth here, it might have beena cool flick. As it is, I just felt like the film didn’t achieve much of anything.– Sean