Melina Kanakaredes and Robert DeNiro in New Line's "15 Minutes."

MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a: Stars: Robert De Niro and Ed Burns Director: John Herzfeld Rated: R, with violence, profanity and nudity Length: 120 minutes

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(March 9, 2001) -- Funny that 15 Minutes has that title -- because that's about how long it overstays its welcome.

15 Minutes stars Robert De Niro and Ed Burns in an uneven but often-entertaining crime thriller, laced with satire about the blood lust of the media.

Written and directed by John Herzfeld (of 2 Days in the Valley), it spotlights, rather obviously, the violent pursuit of fame in America.

Several key characters -- the cop played by De Niro, a TV tabloid anchor played by Kelsey Grammer, and two visiting Eastern European killers, played by Karel Roden and Oleg Taktarov, want to secure -- or extend -- the 15 minutes of fame, conceived by Andy Warhol.

The film's concept has promise -- imagine Network reborn as an episode of NYPD Blue. But the execution is sometimes sloppy and heavy-handed, as well as too long.

A tight script and subtle approach would have made this a winner.

As is, it can be exciting when De Niro is on the screen. The film is strongest at its most basic, as a police saga, especially when De Niro and Burns (as a fire investigator), share an unlikely partnership.

The media satire, though, is clever but unconvincing.

Roden and Taktarov play Emil and Oleg, who arrive in America to get money owed them by a former partner. Both think America is a land of corrupt opportunity and view our justice system as soft and easily beaten.

Oleg also is fascinated by Hollywood -- and thinks he has the makings of a director. He even adopts the name "Frank Capra" and steals a videocamera with which he records their crimes. It turns out he's making a snuff film starring Emil, who is a real-life sadistic killer.

De Niro and Burns play the investigators, and Grammer is Robert Hawkins, the TV journalist who wants to play Oleg's crime videos on his program. "If it bleeds, it leads," is Hawkins' TV production motto.

De Niro, though, is at the top of his considerable game, bringing quirky traits and an appealing manner to his portrayal. Fans of Taxi Driver will note he even finds an entertaining new way to address himself in the mirror.

Burns also holds our attention as De Niro's temporary partner, though his character is not as well-defined by Herzfeld's script. Grammer's Hawkins is a cleverly portrayed conniving slimeball, an edgy stretch for TV's much-loved Frasier.

Of the two villains, Roden is more memorable as the slight but tightly coiled and vicious Emil. (Roden brings to mind the appearance and intensity of Robert Carlyle.)

Sharp-eyed viewers may also spot Charlize Theron in a cameo as the madam of a Manhattan escort service. (Her first film was Herzfeld's 2 Days in the Valley.) 15 Minutes starts strong -- and keeps moving with visceral action up to a surprising crime at the midpoint. The film then starts to lose its focus and becomes problematic. Ultimately, this flashy film stumbles into a contrived finale.

Which lasts about 15 minutes.