15 MINUTES
US, 2001, 120 minutes, Colour.
Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammer, Avery Brooks, Karel Roden, Oleg Taktarov, Vera Farmiga, James Handy, Charlize Theron, Kim Cattrall, David Allen Greer.
Directed by John Herzveld.
It was Andy Warhol who made the famous remark about everybody's have 15 minutes of fame. With television and video, more and more people have an opportunity for those 15 minutes. This is an exciting but rather ugly film about fame and crime, television, video and sensationalism.
A Russian and a Czech thug get into the US to retrieve stolen money. Within moments, they have committed a murder and are in pursuit of a witness. What is different is that the Czech has a video camera, wants to make movies and videos the crimes. In the meantime, crack police officer, Robert de Niro, has become a television celebrity and is asked to take on the case. He meets a fire officer (Edward Burns) who is to assist him. The film is demanding its audience to react emotionally to police work and its dangers, to the brutality of crime and to the voyeuristic attitudes that the public have developed and which news television fosters.
1.The blend of police investigation, media exploitation and expose?
2.The title, Andy Warhol’s comment about fifteen minutes of fame? Television, Top Stories? Celebrities, police celebrities? The fifteen minutes with the broadcast of the murder? Television networks, financial considerations and decisions? The criminals, the movies, deals? Video records of crimes?
3.New York City, Times Square, police precincts, homes and apartments, the television studios, the burning buildings? A feel for New York City? Musical score?
4.Top Stories and sensationalism? The audience appetite for this kind of material? Robert Hawkins, the initial discussions with his policy team? Eddie Flemming and the interview with him, arrangements to cover arrests on television, the footage? Their use? Seen on Times Square? The criminals seeing this material? Eddie Flemming’s interview with the serial killer, his plea for temporary insanity, his getting off his charge, the movie deal? Oleg and his filming? His ambitions? Emil and the idea for making money, the filming of Eddie Flemming’s death? Selling it to Robert Hawkins? His dilemma, the money, the broadcast? Audience reactions? Fascination? The irony of Oleg and his evidence against Emil? Hawkins and his crocodile tears, double-talk?
5.Eddie Flemming and his skills, the television interviews, his work with Robert Hawkins, taking him on the arrest? His relationship with Nicolette? The meal, the proposal? The initial murder, meeting Jordy Warsaw? The investigation, the scene of the crime, Jordy and his help, his jokes at Jordy’s expense, the bond between them? Partners? The phone calls, going to the escort agency, checking on Daphne in the hair salon? The street chase of Emil and Oleg? The shootings? His partner being shot? At home, his being abducted, interrogated and tortured by Emil, filmed by Oleg, the stunt work for the fight as Eddie was tied to the chair? His being killed?
6.Jordy and his work, fires, arson investigations? The scene of the crime? His boss and his concern about public relations? Seeing Daphne at the back of the crowd? The discussions with Eddie, going along with him, the escort agency, Daphne, her silence, his allowing her to go to his apartment, take a shower, the possibility of compromise? The further investigations, the result of Eddie’s death? His attempted violence, with the gun, the pursuit of the criminals? Not shooting Emil?
7.Emil and Oleg, their arrival in New York, Czech and Russian, their language clashes, with the inspector at passport control, the talk about Frank Capra and the American dream? The visit, their clashes, going to find the man who betrayed them, his wife, the arguments, the murder, it being filmed? Daphne seeing it? Arranging the bodies, burning the apartment? Going to the hotel, the phone call to the agency, wanting a Czech girl, the prostitute coming, her death? Moving, filming, finding Daphne and threatening her, the salon, the chase in the streets, Emil being shot, the confrontation with the police? Watching television, watching Eddie’s interview? Abducting him, interrogations, spurning him, the spitting, the torture, the fight, death? Going to the studios and bargaining about the video?
8.Daphne, being illegal, her story, the witness, at the salon, her running, hiding, relationship with Jordy? The truth about the killing, in the hands of Customs and Passports?
9.Issues of law and order, society, media, integrity?
