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88 Minutes (2007)

Director: Jon Avnet

Average user rating

5 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out New York

All great actors have films they’d rather forget, and Al Pacino isn’t exempt from starring in his share of embarrassments; kudos to the Pacinophiles who brave Revolution or Two for the Money and still retain their fandom. Now that this stupendously inept serial-killer flick has slithered into theaters, the diminutive legend had better clear room in his closet for another cinematic skeleton. Notice how we didn’t call the movie a thriller, as that would suggest there were actual thrills in store. All you’ll get out of this disaster is slack-jawed amazement that everyone involved could keep a straight face.

As hotshot forensic psychiatrist Jack Gramm, Pacino—armed with a three-inches-high-and-rising bouffant—is told via cell phone that he’s got a limited time to live (see title). The threatening calls are payback for putting a murderer (McDonough) on death row, as well as a convenient excuse for Gramm and his luxurious coif to run around Seattle. As for Pacino’s personal agenda, it primarily involves the star testing his Pixies School of Acting technique (go instantly from soft whisper to banshee scream) against a host of unlucky B actors.

Compared with Jon Avnet’s barely functional directing and the ripened dialogue, Pacino’s phoned-in turn hardly qualifies as a cardinal sin. Yet the former poster boy for Method intensity is testing his luck; car wrecks like these can maim even the sturdiest of screen phoenixes. Given its star treatment here, however, his hair still has a bright future.

Author: David Fear

Time Out New York Issue 655: April 17 - 23, 2008

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User reviews of this film

Roger Waters said...

Posted on Sep 24 2011 12:07 To avoid any confusion, my comments 'below' refer to the two coments at the bottom of this page.

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Roger Waters said...

Posted on Sep 24 2011 12:05 I normally don't pour scorn on other people's opinions, but it is rather obvious to me that the two people above have never watched the Godfather Part II and if they did they would probably say it was 'boring' and 'way too confusing'.

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stephen said...

Posted on Aug 13 2009 22:21 dreadful film, ridiculous plot, poor direction to say the characters were one dimentional gives them too much substance . The co star has less emotional range in her acting than a goldfish with all lines delivered like wood , Although the film is almost worth watching to hear Al pacino deliver the line "Im a forensic psychiatrist with the FBI show me your hands "(Not many psychiatrists i m sure routinely carry guns ).

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Selena said...

Posted on Apr 24 2009 22:24 Fantastic thriller, racing action, twisted plot, absorbing till the last minute. Al Pacino doesn't disappoint neither. Really good film, the critic's review is some kind of spoof!

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Liezl said...

Posted on Oct 11 2008 17:44 This is a good film and certainly recommended.
You will enjoy it.
Definitely worth watching for it's story line...

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