Movie Info:
Writer: Gary Scott Thompson
Director: Jon Avnet
Cast: Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman, William Forsythe, Deborah Kara Unger, Benjamin McKenzie, Neal McDonough, Leah Cairns, Stephen Moyer
Rating: R
Studio: Sony
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 18, 2008
DVD Release Date: September 16, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.95
I had been wanting to see 88 Minutes since I saw the first preview for the movie. This movie was incredibly hyped up, and with good reason. I’m in the minority here (reviewer wise) when I say, I actually really enjoyed this movie. I found it to be an exhilarating thrill ride that had me holding my breath most of the 88 minutes that the major part of the movie lasted. Simple plot or not, the actors made this movie fun.
Al Pacino was excellent in this movie. He played exactly as you’d expect him to play, with smug indifference and perhaps even the haughtiness you’d see from a tenured, famous, college professor. I didn’t feel he was just going through the motions. I didn’t feel he was under acting. I also didn’t feel the supporting cast was bad. C’mon! The supporting cast is made up of Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman, and William Forsythe, to name a few. All of these actors are skilled and have performed in both well written television shows and movies.
So, I’m wondering why the critics didn’t like this movie. The user rating on IMDB is surprisingly not that bad. It’s a 6.0, which is pretty high for any movie. So, obviously the fans liked this movie. I find that I’m not overly haughty, like many of the critics on the web or in print. I’m objective, but realistic and down to Earth. I also like these kind of heart-pounding, pulse-raising movies, so I have an advantage to those not overly fond of this genre.
I should probably explain why I liked 88 Minutes. I found the concept of someone being told they have 88 minutes to live to be incredibly intriguing. The way the story unfolds keeps you guessing. I didn’t find this to be too predictable. I had my suspicions, but wasn’t sure of the various characters’ motivations. Overall, as everything was finally unwinding and the sordid plot was revealed, I found the story to be wholly satisfying. Pacino shines in this, though I wouldn’t say it’s his best performance to date. Still, he is what makes this movie work.
88 Minutes Plot
Dr. Jack Gramm (Al Pacino) is not only a college professor at a Seattle college, he’s also a well known and respected Forensic Psychologist. At the beginning of 88 Minutes, Jack has just helped to convict a condemned serial killer, Jon Forster (Neal McDonough), to death. Forester insists he’s 100% innocent and bases his displeasure towards the justice system on the fact that Jack’s controversial profile and a teary eye-witness testimony from a possibly biased witness were what convicted him.
Some years have passed and Jack is still teaching successfully. He’s as womanizing, shrewd, and arrogant as he’s always been. That has obviously made him some enemies. It’s right before Jon Forester’s death sentence will be upheld. His lawyers are working fervently to get their client a stay of execution. That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen until they find out that a crime identical to the original murders Jon was convicted of has been committed, a day before his execution. The murdered girl also happens to be a student of Jack’s.
Before heading to class, the FBI, whom Jack has worked with regularly, asks him if there is a chance he made a mistake. Jack is convinced that this is a copycat murder, but the FBI and police aren’t sure they believe him. Profiling isn’t always an exact science, after all. Jack heads to work after checking in with his caring, competent (yet platonic friend – since she’s a lesbian) personal assistant, Shelly (Amy Brenneman). He plans to prove that this is a copycat murder, with Shelly’s help.
At class, the other students are upset when they learn their classmate, Sara, has died and Jack didn’t tell them about it. He had asked the class, which consists of students Lauren Douglas (Leelee Sobieski), Mike Stempt (Benjamin McKenzie), and Kim Cummings (Alicia Witt), who is also one of Jack’s teaching assistants (to name a few), about Sara’s death, hoping to catch one of them in a lie about when/where they’d last seen her.
What Jack doesn’t tell his class is that he’s been receiving messages on his cellphone. The first message is a prophecy of his death, which will occur in 88 minutes. As the action onscreen plays out in exactly 88 minutes, Jack must discover who is attempting to kill him and who really committed the murder (or murders – should Jon be innocent). Of course, he also has to deal with a bomb threat at the college, an attack on his student, Lauren, the angry, messed up ex-boyfriend of Kim, Guy LaForge (Stephen Moyer), memories of his deceased little sister, and some drama with his one-night stand the night before.
In the end, all of the events seem to be interlinked and Jack has less than two hours to discover what’s really going on before he ends up dead.
This movie has a lot going for it, especially the acting. Of course, similar ideas have been explored before in other thrillers. While the idea isn’t exactly original or complex, it’s hard to deny that watching Al Pacino in any movie is unnecessary. He holds the main appeal, so if you don’t like Pacino, you probably won’t like this.
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Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The 88 Minutes visual transfer is solid though not perfect. Presented in anamorphic widescreen at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio this 1080p in AVC MPEG-4 picture is consistently gritty throughout the entire movie. This seems to be due to the mood of the picture, with plenty of blacks and greys present throughout. These are solid colors and while skintones are accurate, expecte the picture to be quite gloomy. I am assuming this is an artistic choice, which is why I’m not overly concerned about that aspect of the transfer. Free of compression errors, grit, dirt, and only brief instances of grain, this is better than what you’d expect for a standard DVD released, but not quite as impressive as the majority of Blu Rays out there.
The audio quality for 88 Minutes is also pretty decent. Not the best Blu Ray “surround” sound, but not terrible either. The English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 was the track I listened to, and there is also a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in French that is also on the disc. The dialogue comes through clearly. Volume toggling wasn’t necessary. The sound effects were somewhat dynamic. They were dynamic enough to be satisfying, but let’s face it. This is no Transformers. The score for the movie comes through beautifully, truly showing off what TrueHD can do. Subtitles are available in English and French.
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Audio:
Bonus Features:
There are a few bonuses included on this Blu Ray DVD of 88 Minutes. I was surprised there weren’t more since usually the Blu Ray releases get the major treatment. Still, what is here is fairly decent, if not a bit on the drab side.
The bonuses start out with an Alternate Ending. This ending runs for over ten minutes in length. This really isn’t even an alternate ending. It just adds “supplemental” material onto the ending that is already in place. It should be called an “extended scene” instead, because that’s what it really is. The next feature up is called “Director’s Point of View”. This bonus is almost eight minutes long. The director of 88 Minutes, Jon Avnet, discusses his POV while making the movie. He also talks about what it was like to work with Pacino.
Moving on, there is a featurette called “The Character Within”. Lasting just under eight minutes, this is an interview with Al Pacino. He describes the process he used to become Jack Gramm, which is interesting considering Pacino is a method actor. He also talks about the director, Jon Avnet, and his experience working with him. Speaking of Avnet, there is an audio commentary with him. It’s one of the better commentaries I’ve heard. He’s authoritative, yet interesting and engaging at the same time.
Finally, there are a series of previews for other Sony releases. This includes previews for Prom Night, Made of Honor, 21, Felon, Vantage Point, Untraceable, Resident Evil: Degeneration and Starship Troopers 3.
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Bottom Line:
Don’t listen to the majority of critics. Make your own opinion of 88 Minutes. I recommend renting this first because it seems people either love or hate this movie. I’m one of the lovers. I enjoyed this movie, quite a bit. It was engaging, fast paced, and offered up excellent performances from the main cast. If you’re a fan of Pacino, you’ll want to check this out (and who wouldn’t want to see Amy Brenneman as a lesbian?). If you decide you want to buy this movie, pick up the Blu Ray because it offers a fairly decent quality for what you’ll pay.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: 88 Minutes, DVD Review, Sony, Movie Review, Drama, Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Blu Ray, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman
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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.
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