All movies15 Minutes

Rated:

R

Running time:

2:00 minutes

Release date:

January 2, 2001

Capsule review:

For fully half its running time, and maybe a bit more, "15 Minutes" is an excitingly told tale of modern media power. It both documents, and parodies, the lengths that people will go to be famous, and the many ways that the media are so willing to accommodate them - as long as they help ratings. The stage is set when two immigrants, a Czech named Emil (Karel Roden) and his film-crazy Russian partner Oleg (Oleg Taktarov), set out on a murder spree with the express purpose of claiming insanity, going to a mental hospital, getting out and selling their stories for millions. In their way are media-savvy detective Eddie Flemming (Robert De Niro) and unassuming arson investigator Jordy Warsaw (Edward Burns). The movie boasts one unexpected turn, and De Niro is suitably intense throughout. But in the end, "15 Minutes" - which comes from Andy Warhol's dictum that everyone will have 15 minutes of fame - becomes a kind of silly revenge film. The final, oh, 15 minutes pretty much erase everything good that went before.