15 Minutes (2001)

“I love America. No one is responsible for what they do.” – Emil

Number of Times Seen – Twice (23 Apr 2001 and 1 Jan 2019)

Brief Synopsis – Two Eastern European travelers to the US go on a crime spree in order to make themselves famous; a seasoned detective and a fire inspector try to stop them.

My Take on it – This is a film that I recall seeing once not long after it came out and enjoyed it even more this time.

That probably has much to do with the fact that this film’s premise is much more relevant today than it was back when it came out since the popularity of Reality TV has skyrocketed in the 17 years since this was made.

The premise of the film works really well because we get to see how the idea of how the use of the media both properly and improperly can be used by various characters to further their own personal agendas.

The cast of this film is great and Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, and Kelsey Grammer are all superb here.

I really loved the way that this film takes some very bold steps that are not usually done in these kind of movies which helps raise the stakes of it all while also making it feel much more realistic.

This story moves at a great pace and the various twists and turns along the way help keep things very gripping and thriller the whole way through.

Bottom Line – Great thriller that is even more relevant today, now that the world has embraced the idea of Reality TV. The premise works quite well and we see how ambitious many of the characters are that they are willing to use the media to try and help their various causes. The cast is great with De Niro, Burns and Grammer all doing fine jobs with these roles. The story manages to do so very bold things along the way which make the story even more gripping and realistic instead of feeling like a typical Hollywood crime thriller. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The title comes from the famous quote by Andy Warhol who said, “In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)