Plot Problems Stall '88 Minutes'

Movie Review: Viewers Left Hanging With Unanswered Questions In Action-Packed Who-Done-It

By: Valerie Calderon

Posted: 4/21/08

"88 Minutes," which feels like a combination of films such as "Red Dragon" and "Phone Booth," fails in its attempt to be a legitimate psychological thriller, mostly due to plot problems.

The film begins nine years before the present day, showing the events that result in a homicide and rape. A killer breaks into the apartment of twin sisters, kills one of them but fails to kill the other.

After an investigation, police arrest a suspect, Jon Forster (Neal McDonough, and put him on trial.

Dr. Jack Gramm (Al Pacino), a well-known forensic psychiatrist and professor in Seattle, is convinced that Forster committed that murder, along with a string of similar murders where the killer rapes women and hangs them upside down on a pulley system.

In Forster's trial, Gramm has a large impact on the outcome and eventually Forster is sentenced to death.

The film then moves to the present as Forster is days away from his execution. He has been given the name "The Seattle Slayer" and he is all over the news as a Ted Bundy-type killer.

After a night out, Gramm begins what he believes will be an ordinary day, but he soon receives a phone call saying he only has 88 minutes to live. The things around him begin to be vandalized and he believes Forster is behind it.

Trouble arises when a copycat murderer kills one of Gramm's students, resulting in what could be a stay of execution for Forster. For the entirety of the film, Gramm is trying to figure out who around him is connected with Forster because he believes they are involved in the copycat killings as well as the threatening phone calls he receives.

The film feels like a combination of "Red Dragon" and "Phone Booth," but "88 Minutes" fails in its attempt to be a legitimate psychological thriller.

Gramm becomes suspicious of all those around him, including students and friends. His paranoia comes through in the cinematography. The use of hand-held cameras mimics Gramm's state of mind.

Gramm is an extremely conflicted character; the murder of his younger sister motivates him to try to do what's right even at the cost of others. Pacino carries this film as a struggling FBI forensic psychiatrist.

"88 Minutes" is a psychological thriller mixed with a crime drama. It is an elaborate who-dunnit that will keep viewers guessing until the end.

The film is filled with plot twists and can be confusing at times. Through all the twists and turns the storyline is tightly wrapped and handed to the viewer in a tight bow at the end of the film. However, plot holes leave viewers with many questions.

The film has a wide range of supporting actors both new and established. Though Pacino clearly commands this film, the other actors help in its progression.

"88 Minutes" is fast-paced and action-packed, but it lacks stability. Director Jon Avnet reaches but misses in this attempt. Don't expect this film to make sense; just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Contact Valerie Calderon at

Valerie.Calderon@UConn.edu.