Rating: 
Summary: Hated hated hated hated hated hated hated hated this movie.
Review: I can think of no better way to review "15 Minutes" than to borrow Roger Ebert's legendary review of "North": "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it." Arguably the worst movie I have seen in recent years - a notable achievement in the face of heavy competition - the derivative script added insult to injury by affronting the viewer's intelligence in every way imaginable. No one will ever accuse this film of being either original or an "intelligent thriller." By the end of the film, my only hope was that every single character in this movie died, but even that expectation went unfulfilled. If "15 Minutes'" attempted some sort of social commentary, then it failed miserably. It probably would do fine as fodder for a show like Mystery Science Theater 2000, though even that might be giving this film more credit than it deserves. (Note to Amazon.com: Why not revise your rating scale so that it goes from a toilet bowl to five stars? I could have used the toilet bowl on this one!!!) Director John Herzfeld enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame with "2 Days in the Valley," a "Pulp Fiction" rip-off. With "15 Minutes," he succeeds only in evoking a revision of a Joker line from the movie "Batman": "This [Director] needs an enema!"
Rating:
Summary: I only lasted 15 Minutes trying to watch this film.
Review: That was not an exaggeration. I loved the premise, and director John Herzfeld's short essay on the intentions of this film (included in the leaflet in the DVD case) was quite interesting. But his film is an incredibly sloppy vehicle for what he's trying to say. My biggest problem is with the two villains. Can we say 'stereotypical Eurotrash'? A Czech tough guy with all the complexity of a G.I. Joe action figure and his Russian sidekick spouting bad cliches...I got tired watching these guys for 20 seconds, yet Herzfeld lovingly documents their shenanigans in excruciating detail in the first third of this movie. Both actors indulge in Gary Oldmanesque overkill and end up dragging down the entire movie. If Herzfeld's intention was to show the ludicrous nature of fame-seeking, he should have crafted real characters succumbing to the temptations of tabloid fame, not cardboard-cutout cliches with whom no sane person can identify. Robert De Niro looks barely awake, and it's only Edward Burns who brings a little bit of spark in his role as an arson investigator. Too bad these two characters combined make for about a quarter of the screen time in the opening of this film. The rest of the time, you suffer through the two villains going to an old friend to collect a debt, receiving escort services, stealing DV cameras...absolutely torturous viewing. And overuse of the handheld-video gimmick (shooting some scenes through the camera held by the Russian) means that the scenes irritate the eyes rather than exciting them. Herzfeld is not able to employ this device masterfully and expressively as in American Beauty or even Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Even 15 minutes of my life was too much to waste on this crap.
Rating:
Summary: one of the worst movies ever
Review: this was so stupid. what do u get when u cross bad acting , a ok plot , and a insanely stupid villain? this movie. robert de niro dies which leads to major suckage. kelsey grammer was good in down periscope and should stick with comedy not action. never watch this.i want my two hours back.
Rating:
Summary: the film/ de niro
Review: ...a disappointment and major blow to the De Niro "can do no wrong" theory. The man is truly a legend and I still hold him in high regard but my god this film was bad.
It was suppose to reflect what America's love of violence is like - a condemning look, yet it didn't achieve it. Scene after scene of pointless violence soon made it hypocritical and the script was appalling.
De Niro just wasn't up to scratch, he's slumming it in this film and I resent him for it. I resent him because he is one of the few actors I choose to admire and trust his judgement of films thus forking out money to see them and then being let down by something like 15 Minutes.
I haven't lost faith though, as I said I still respect him. I just think of Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and Midnight Run and loads of other films and then remember why I like him.
De Niro fans - don't avoid this film see it by all means. It's a harsh reminder that he isn't perfect.
Rating:
Summary: a True Lemon!
Review: Avoid this film at all costs.Robert De Niro is One of The Greatest Actors Ever but aside from a few films over the past Decade&change His Films have been for the most Part Oen Note Johnnys.add this one to the Dog Pile.it tries to shock&provoke but all it does is become a film that lasts 45 Minutes too long.and when Robert De Niro dies in the Middle of a Film that usual means it's really doom.Kelsey Grammer in a Major Picture? He is solid for Tv but in Film He is Closer Tom Arnold Vile to me overall.this is a Film that was done within the first half hour.this film also suffers for trying to be too many things to all people.I Respect Robert De Niro, His Older Films are Must Have, but unless He changes His tune He is Better suited behind the Camera now or maybe time to chill.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice idea, but...
Review: This movie lacked something -- believability. It's like it was trying to show how sleazy the media can be, which somehow made the film itself come across as being sleazy. The killers -- or the "actor" and the "director" (as they refer to themselves), come across as caricatures -- like Pinky and the Brain. They seem a little too [un believable], not hard edged enough. The big draw to this film is -- let's face it -- DeNiro, but he dies half way through the movie. Then, it's up to Ed Burns to carry the rest of the film. Ed Burns had done really well on some films ("The Brothers McMullen"), but filling a void left by DeNiro -- well, that's a tough one for anyone to fill. Burns' character is such a boyscout throughout the entire film, that any violence coming from him seems forced. Then there is the quasi-romance between him and Vera Farmiga's character, "Daphne Handlova," which was wasted. Here she is -- the sole eyewitness to original murders, who falls for Fire Marshall Bill (Ed Burns), and through out the whole movie, in the end, she's practically wanted more for being an illegal alien that for the information she holds. By the way -- how does a FIRE MARSHALL manage to keep himself so involved in a criminal case (especially after the only investigator that agreed to let him tag along is killed), in which the only fire that would even require his presence, takes place in the first five minutes of the film? I mean, this isn't "[other movie]," where there's a world of arson blowing up around us. Overall, this film felt like a bad reality show. Too bad. The idea had potential.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Waste Your Money On This One!
Review: You know De Niro is good in any movie no matter if it's a bad one and my God did he ever try to save this film with as usual a stellar performance but he gets killed in this one and you know De Niro isn't supposed to die in any film especially this lame one. Then you're stuck with these two dopes running around with a camera recording their crimes, well there's just one guy and this guy must be a total [jerk], you don't have any sympathy for this sort of "innocent" killer even though it's his partner doing the killing and this other guy is not too bright either. Rent this movie first folks. I am not critical of De Niro, he's one the best actors alive and I did by the Ronin DVD. I just couldn't find anything to love about this film.
Rating: 
Summary: Amusing.....
Review: This is a characteristic action movie. To begin with, it is some different from other ordinary action films. One of main character that is Robert DeNiro, is killed in the middle of the film. This film is quite interesting. The murderers kill people to make money, and broadcasting company use them. It shows morally bankrupt broadcasting companies that can¡¯t think of anything but a scoop. So, they conclude agreement with the murderers to make a scoop. At first, this film was little bit boring, but it become to make tense and be interesting. At the last, it finishes stubbornly that murderer was punished as a conventional ending. Of the action films I have seen recently, I think, it is the most interesting and peculiar film. It looks like a common action movie, but it has a harsh criticism for broadcastings. Anyway, it is a well-made and funny movie.
Rating:
Summary: Been There, Done That
Review: 15 MINUTES is a bit of an enigma. It teeters between being a police procedural, a social commentary, and an action film, and this ambiguity on the part of the writer/director leaves the viewer not quite understanding whether ANY statement was relevant come the conclusion. The story centers around Robert DeNiro and Ed Burns' characters, one a local celebrity of a police officer and the latter an arson inspector, as the macabre exploits of two immigrants who commit horrible crimes while videotaping them (for no REAL apparent reason except for the fact that one of the foreigners has been stricken with the Hollywood bug) for their own pleasure. However, once the two manage to kill DeNiro and capture his execution on film, the film spirals quickly out of control, making less and less sense. Kelsey Grammer (sp?) (largely wasted in a carbon copy role) stars as a city TV tabloid reporter who, while maintaining a friendship with DeNiro's cop character throughout, cannot resist the temptation to broadcast the bloody footage to the masses. As any film afficianado would expect, Robert Deniro's performance crackles with Jedi Mastery of his craft. His irresistable ability to imbue every word of dialogue with the lifeblood of his character (popular city cop Eddie Fleming) elevates a rather predictable, formula story as best he can ... but, in the end, his sacrifice only begs the question who've all heard too many times before: "Is the 15 minutes of fame really worth it?" The film smarts of an attempt to transform Ed Burns into an action hero, and, while it succeeds on several levels, he ends up being 'just another vigilante' in the film's final few scenes. Lastly, the beautiful and talented Kim Cattrall is wasted in a performance as a studio executive (ironically) trying to turn the studio away from sex and violence in programming. 15 MINUTES starts out very well, building upon the tensions reminiscent of the best cop buddy pictures (DeNiro and Burns), but it quickly resorts to predictable set-ups and foreseeable twists. Along the way, the script provides plenty of potholes that even an accomplished thespian as DeNiro can't navigate around.
Rating: 
Summary: Riveting Way Beyond 15 Minutes!
Review: From the open, to the close, this movie is a fast paced non-stop actioneer that kept me on the edge of my seat. ................. Oleg and Emil are Russian and Czech visitors of the USA, whose behavior is far from in check when they plot to make murder into quick money upon arrival in New York City. They arrive at the door of a plummer friend and promptly murder both him and his wife. Emil, the Czech, is the brutally violent one, and Oleg, his Russian comrade, a fanciful auteur weilding a video camera. He is adamant about capturing every sick twisted moment of bloodletting on tape. You wonder why anyone would want this on film? To SELL it for a ton of money to an entertainment tonight type of TV show hosted by Frasier alum Kelsey Grammer. He plays his smarmy role quite well here. Emil and Oleg are well aware of America's somewhat screwy laws governing murder, insanity, double jeopardy, immunity, and the ways they can twist everything to their financial advantage while retaining their freedom as well. Edward Burns is very likeable as he plays a FDNY arson investigator, and Robert DeNiro an NYPD honcho who becomes an unwitting target for the murderers. Melina Kanakaredes, like Kelsey Grammer, is also a reporter, and girlfriend of DeNiro's Eddie character. They are planning to get married, but Emil and Oleg will interrupt their fate. The showdown, and the outcome when DeNiro meets Oleg and Emil, was a complete shock, and surprise...but I won't ruin for you, you MUST see this movie yourself. ............... A particularly funny cameo was famed Gotti attorney Bruce Cutler as Emil's mouthpiece. We also see Charlize Theron too briefly, in a throwaway role as a Russian hairstylist who employs the witness to the initial murder of the plummer, who is also a promising newcomer in film.I really enjoyed boxer Oleg Tarktarov as "Oleg" in, dare I say, a "knockout" of a performance. His obsession with videotaping murders is twisted voyuerism at a pinnacle of originality. .............. All the performances were excellent, the story a bit far-fetched, but truly fascinating from start to finish. Film doesn't have to be realistic to be entertaining, as we know. That said, if you are a fan of action and suspense, and don't mind some heavy duty violence and gore in the mix, this is a great film, with a great cast, not to be missed.
|
