'88 Minutes' Like a Bad CSI Episode

By Connect Mason Reporter Emily Culley

"88 Minutes" is a glorified episode of "CSI," "NYPD Blue," or any of those other crime shows but with all of the wrong elements.

• Watch the trailer.

The movie jumps from the brutal death of Janie Cates' twin sister, to a court scene with the suspected murderer, Jon Forster (Neal McDonough). Dr. Jack Gramm (Al Pacino) then seals Jon Forrester's fate to death row in prison, and unknowingly seals his own fate. After Gramm leaves the whiteness stand, Forster turns to him and utters the words that steer the rest of the movie, “Tick, Tock, Doc.”

Jumping ahead nine years, Gramm is still working steadily with the FBA and teaching at a local college. Gramm's life is focused around the Jon Forster case and starts to unravel on the day of Forrester's execution. And then the phone call comes in, Gramm has 88 minutes to live.

Aside from the complicated plot, the camera angles and transitions during reminiscent scenes were nearly nauseatingly out of focus. The camera tries to jump from Gramm's suspects as quickly as Gramm's mind and narrative are jumping; which only tires your mind, eyes and ears. Additionally, Gramm's phone rings nearly every 10 minutes — if not more, informing him that more precious time has passed, but also blasting a rather annoying ring tone.

The characters backgrounds were overdeveloped, while their personalities were left for the actors to discern. Al Pacino plays the crime solving professor who also works with the FBI to help solve high profile crimes. Leelee Sobieski, Alicia Witt and Benjamin McKenzie all play top students of Dr. John Gramm, who all seem to have secret hidden agendas. Amy Brenneman plays Gramm's assistant, who is struggling through most the movie with a dark secret. Leah Cairns and Stephen Moyer play supporting characters with sketchy backgrounds and hidden agendas. That doesn't even include Neal McDonough, the serial killer.

Is this beginning to sound like a bit much for a 110 minute long movie?

By the end of the movie I was mentally exhausted from trying to keep up with the 4-5 sub plots that were presented as a vital clue to the story but mostly panned out to be nothing of importance. D.