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Our Rating
Reviewer	Jacqui Thompson
Rated	16V
Running Time	121 mins
Starring	Robert De Niro, Ed Burns, Kelsey Grammer, Avery Brooks, Charlize Theron
Screenplay	John Herzfeld
Director	John Herzfeld
Website	http://www.15minutesmovie.com
Movie Details	The Internet Movie Database

The title of this strong yet disturbing movie refers to the Andy Warhol quote in the future everyone would be famous for 15 minutes.

In this shocking film about murder, manipulation and the media, Robert De Niro is the publicity savvy top cop Eddie Flemming. He’s featured on the cover of People magazine and knows the advantage of being high profile in New York City. A fire almost succeeds in concealing a vicious double murder that sets him and Arson Investigator Jordy Warsaw (Ed Burns) on the trail of two Eastern Europeans, who are looking for their interpretation of the American Dream.

One naively believes he can be a big time movie producer and steals a video camera to record their escapades in the Big Apple. The other is looking for his share of the cash from a bank robbery he has been serving time for. What’s on the camera could be worth a small fortune to hard news and reality-based shows. Remember the old adage – if it bleeds it leads.

Guest writer Jacqui Thompson is passionate about travel, wildlife and movies. She's travelled through Africa in her own landrover, backpacked across Canada and ventured as far afield as Alaska and Vietnam. Indulging in her latter two passions she now writes movie reviews and wildlife articles.

The ubiquitous Charlize Theron pops up again as an Afrikaans-speaking madam running an escort service from a Manhatten loft. I kid you not! It is her under that chic black bob. Not too surprising, as it was director John Herzfeld who gave Theron her big Hollywood break in his "Two Days in The Valley".

Kelsey Grammer plays a hypocritical, Pharisaic host on a television actuality show. Not that different from his irritating Frasier character. The nympho blonde from "Sex in The City" plays his boss. I expected her manhunt act complete with bodice-ripping, desk-clearing orgasmic noises. Probably too difficult — she was working with Frasier after all.

Remember "Spenser: For Hire"? Remember Hawk (Avery Brooks), he of the cool shades and dry ha-ha laugh? Avery plays De Niro’s loyal and angry partner. Pity he’s not wearing those long dramatic sweeping black leather coats. Well, the film was shot during summer in New York, when the heat and humidity are apparently worse than a heat wave in Durban.

On the surface "15 Minutes" is a violent thriller. Two good cops chasing two bad guys through the crowded streets of New York. But it is much more than an edge of your seat action movie with blazing guns. It is a damning indictment of the American judiciary system, society’s obsession with whining cry-baby talk shows and of a culture where women write to murderers with marriage proposals, murderers have publicity agents and chat on prime time about whose to blame for the crimes they committed. They bleat about low self-esteem and parents who klapped them. No one takes responsibility for anything they do yet all want to reap some benefit; fame or fortune, preferably both. It is the perversion of the American Dream, live and in Technicolor close-up.

The movie also points a lens at the public. How much do we really want to see? Should the naked truth, the savagery, the hurt be screened all in the name news or ratings? Millions of television viewers around the world, South Africans included, have taken to reality-based television shows with glee. Look at the success of "Survivor" and "Temptation Island" and the huge following of Jerry Springer’s show. Some people are desperate for their 15 minutes and will do anything to feel that blaze of publicity. Should networks pay for footage even if it shows premeditated criminal acts?

All in all a difficult film to categorise, there’s action, drama, revenge and romance, but I’d go with a top-notch thought-provoking thriller with a conscience.