I'd heard so much trash-talk about "88 Minutes" that I was reluctant to see it. I knew the basic premise --- forensic psych gets ominous phone calls counting down the minutes to his pending demise --- but heard it was so ridiculous that it diffused any real suspense.
Well, let's put it this way: if you regularly watch episodes of crime dramas and mysteries on TV and you buy what's in them, you can sure buy what's laid out here.
For all of the film's TV drama hyperbole, the fact remains that it's populated with some very strong performances from A-list actors and that alone bumps up its credibility. It kept me pretty much glued to my seat for its ironic two-hour running time. I could have lasted even a bit longer with it to get some more insight into the motivations behind the crimes, etc.
But this is a bump and grind adventure, and it never pretends that it's anything less tawdry, and who really cares in this case? It's not a message movie and the film itself is basically well-made.
There are about three times more red herrings than you'd normally expect and none seem especially outrageous. It had me guessing --- incorrectly several times --- for the most part.
Al Pacino brings a nice layer of gravitas to many scenes that could have been so cheesy in the hands of a really hacky TV actor. For fans of Alicia Witt, Amy Brenneman, Leelee Sobieski, Debra Kara Unger, and the always creepy Neil McDonough, it's a treat as well.
Well, let's put it this way: if you regularly watch episodes of crime dramas and mysteries on TV and you buy what's in them, you can sure buy what's laid out here.
For all of the film's TV drama hyperbole, the fact remains that it's populated with some very strong performances from A-list actors and that alone bumps up its credibility. It kept me pretty much glued to my seat for its ironic two-hour running time. I could have lasted even a bit longer with it to get some more insight into the motivations behind the crimes, etc.
But this is a bump and grind adventure, and it never pretends that it's anything less tawdry, and who really cares in this case? It's not a message movie and the film itself is basically well-made.
There are about three times more red herrings than you'd normally expect and none seem especially outrageous. It had me guessing --- incorrectly several times --- for the most part.
Al Pacino brings a nice layer of gravitas to many scenes that could have been so cheesy in the hands of a really hacky TV actor. For fans of Alicia Witt, Amy Brenneman, Leelee Sobieski, Debra Kara Unger, and the always creepy Neil McDonough, it's a treat as well.