"88 Minutes" (2007) - Movie Review

If not for Al Pacino, is there a chance for any one to have some kind of motivation to see this film having disaster written all over it in trailer? Nope, not at all, never, no one would. Jon Avnet directing this miserable film has decided to bend over back wards in the hideous attempt to fool us in finding the mysterious caller for Dr. Jack Gramm (Al Pacino) saying he has 88 minutes to live. How much more thrillers like this has the despicable logic for the killer in the end? They start with the suspense and then build over it. Hence coming up with strangest reasoning and the surmounting stupidity one after another.

The film’s start opens with a complete unawareness of Gramm’s character. Avnet wanted to make a fast pace thriller. The characterization and their concealment should be weaved into the plot wherein the negation is reasonable. Pacino’s Gramm tells the truth which honestly sounds more cover up than a true man would sound. Dr. Jack Gramm receives the call on the same day when a convict Jon Forster (Neal McDonough) to be executed. Gramm has been instrumental in psychoanalyzing him and the crime scene to give a convincing testimony to the jury nine years earlier.

Gramm is of course mistrusted because there is a killing of his student in a copycat style of Jon Forster. Suddenly things happen around him and for unreasonable reasons, he immediately suspects his students. And the cast is properly chosen to have the conniving smiles and the attempt to fool us starts. Did Gramm give a false testimony? Is the caller the real killer or is Jon Forster orchestrating this whole thing from death row? These legitimate questions are circled around and of course given in the end as the suspense and the bright laugh of director that he has deceived every one is guessing the killer.

I have had serious conversations with my friends about a notable good actor late Sivaji Ganesan in Tamil Cinema Industry who having the capability of taking up any role he wanted settled for very cheap parts in the insanely idiotic films possible. He is a wonderful actor who amongst the rigorous fans of his was compared to the great Marlon Brando. What makes these personalities hard working their life on the profession and art to not see the blatant irresponsibility a script might have? May be a courteous favour or plain dire financial constraints or whatever any one can come up with. But there are things which are bound as an obligation and Pacino has stepped over the line with “88 Minutes”. I love Al Pacino as many millions do but this seems to be out of bounds.

Many of the readers of my reviews are aware by now that I enjoy almost any kind of movie. “88 Minutes” is in no way boring and I am sure many might even find it fast paced. For me it defied the laws of logic umpteen times with no sense of regret or remorse. It is not that he is forbidden for formula movies but even in that there is a moment he seizes and declares his single most capability of elevating a film’s class to another level. “88 Minutes” is devoid of those moments and since I am done with blaming Pacino, it is in actuality the blunders of director Jon Avnet and he is going to reunite Pacino and Robert De Niro for the upcoming big feature “Righteous Kill”. And in all sincerity I pray for his redemption in it.