I recall my second grade teacher chastising a classmate for rolling her eyes. Up 'til that time, I didn't know how to roll my eyes, but quickly aquired the skill. Sure enough, minutes later, the teacher called out my name loud and clear, with the command to stop rolling my eyes. The exercise taught me two things. One, how to spin my optic receivers, and two, that misbehavior gains attention.

Eye rolling earned me about five seconds of attention. When Andy Warhol opined that the television would ensure every person has 15 minutes of fame, I wonder if he imagined that so much of that fame would be via extreme violence. Look at the schools that catapulted into our consciousness--Columbine, Santee, Paducah, and Jonesboro.

And so watching the new movie "15 Minutes" was basically depressing. The story concerned a Chech named Emil and a Russian named Oleg who come to America to collect money from a partner in crime. Emil is focused on getting his money, Oleg would rather make movies.

So when they discover that their money is all gone--spent by their partner and his wife, Emil kills them both in a fit of horrid rage, then burns down their apartment. Oleg records it all on video. Emil and Oleg quickly settle into a pattern. Emil kills, Oleg records, and in between they watch American talkshows, where they learn about the insanity plea and insanity in general.

Meanwhile, one of New York's finest is on their tail. He's Eddie Flemming, played by Robert de Niro, who is enjoying his own 15 minutes of fame after much media coverage for his spectacular crime fighting record. He's so famous, in fact, that Robert Hawkins, host of a popular news show, considers him a friend. A hotshot fire investigator named Jordy Warsaw works with Flemming, although Warsaw is under attack from his boss, since the fire department isn't getting enough publicity from the crime.

Emil hatches a plan. Kill the cop, sell the video of the murder to the media for a million dollars, then plead insanity, spend a few years in an institution, then settle back and enjoy their wealth.

As a film, 15 Minutes is well done. The story is engrossing, if sickening. Writer and director John Herzfeld brings us a tale that purports to take the moral high-ground, and yet only seems to glamorize the very problem. In the final scene, there is a gratifying punch as the hero takes out his frustration on a pseudo villain. It feels good, and is affirmed by the on-screen characters, but really only endorses the notion that all problems should be shot or punched.

In conclusion, 15 Minutes accentuates a disturbing societal trend. Just as eye-rolling taught me, bad behavior attracts more attention than good, and seemingly anything is worth it to ensure we get the 15 Minutes we've been told to expect.


Home || Complete list of reviews