Movies - 15 Minutes

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	Movies - 15 Minutes

15 Minutes is a 2001 film directed by John Herzfeld starring Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, and Kelsey Grammar about a homicide detective and a fire marshal who must stop a couple of murderers from videotaping their killing and becoming sensationalized by the media.

Plot

"15 Minutes", a thought-provoking drama about what media can do to make a person go up to the heights of fame (regardless of the reasons behind it), how US laws can be manipulated (in this case by two nutcase Eastern European who get the idea while watching some jerkish soap opera). DeNiro as usual gave a stellar performace of unusual kind where he with his mischievous smile and facial mole tackles the homicidal situations with ease. Edward Burns, a fireman, who is always there to make his presence felt and deservingly so does justify his role. It's the chemistry between these two that is really captivating, especially when they drive like mad to a hair salon to meet up with Daphne, a Czech woman. Loose immigration laws and legal structures does sometimes create situations where, despite absolute goriness of the crime, the offender goes scot-free where as the victims and their relatives only get tears.

And then its all about the 15 minutes of fame that the two serial killer strive for. One goes on butchering the innocent victims, while other cooly records everything in his camera (making his directorial debut), and giving expert comments on it too !!!!

A real crass depiction of American society and how it is perceived by non-Americans. Media is again shown here how the hunger for fame and glory could make one go on to make deals for video-tapes that shows the gruesome killing of detective and to add more to that...the anchor/newsreader says it is morally obligatory for him to show what he has got. Rightly, at the end when he tries to play the same trick with Edward Burns, he does get punched.

Also, the relationship between De Niro's character Ed Flemming and the news-presenter offers some insights into how media-savviness can play a role in opining society about an individual. Flemming is media-savvy and he does get ably supported by his girlfriend... who always gets the exclusive shots and story live whenever someone is nabbed.

The movie also scoffs at the foolishness of the Russians or Eastern Europeans showing them as poor, frustrated, vengenful, and delusional who would do anything for money. The Czech Oleg does shot Emil when he threatens Flemming quoting what he watched and heard on the soap opera "No one is responsible in America for what they do" They can get away by saying that they are insane and hence cannot be tried for their acts of crime.

From a creative point of view, it breaks a key hollywood rule half way though the movie, and then sets up a standard hollywood ending. Since the rules have already been broken once, the level of suspence created and sustained is unique.

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