Absolutely brilliant

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Un film pour rien. Tout est nul du début à la fin.

While roaming through my local Blockbuster, I picked this flick out because it seemed to have everything: Al Pacino as a leading man, a good supporting cast, an engaging-sounding plot, and plenty of action/adventure. Sadly, the film failed to deliver on pretty much all accounts.For a basic plot summary, "88 Minutes" focuses on Prof. Jack Gramm (Pacino), who (after contributing to the death sentence of a supposed serial murderer) is drawn into a cat-and- mouse game with the inmate when, inexplicably, the same type of murders start up again. All the while, Gramm is being threatened by mysterious phone calls as the clock ticks down on him from...88 minutes.Succinctly speaking, this film is an absolute mess. I have no idea what director John Avnet was thinking. In the first thirty minutes, the plot seems to be developing and the important characters seem to be taking shape. From that point, however, it's as if Avnet puts his finger in the metaphorical batter-bowl and just stirs everything up...without baking. Thus, most of the plot points brought up in the early goings just fizzle out, while the ones that do come to fruition do so with little to no drama. By the final scene, it's a complete and utter mess.About the only redeeming factor in this movie whatsoever is the acting of Al Pacino. He can still carry a movie with his intense mannerisms and stinging dialogue. Unfortunately, he isn't given nearly enough of those scenes here and seems stifled (perhaps that is what happens when his character is so poorly written). The same is true for the auxiliary cast. I know that Amy Brennamen, Leelee Sobieski, and Alicia Witt are competent actors, but (in this movie) their characters are so uninspiring that it's impossible to inject them with any life.Overall, I would skip this Pacino effort and never look back. A few of the "intense Al" moments remain, but otherwise "88 Minutes" is an exercise in disorganized chaos.

Now I'm not going to say this is the best movie ever made but it is interesting to watch.88 Minutes stars Al Pacino,Alicia Witt, Ben McKenzie,Leelee Sobieski,Amy Brenneman,William Forsythe,Deborah Kara Unger, Neal McDonough. The plot it would be hard to talk about without giving it away it's one of the movies you have to watch to get the plot the writers must have study about the mind games because the movie is full of it from the start to the finish.The score for the movie is bone chilling the feeling of anything could happen at any moment that's what the music does for the movie so it's one of the highlights for the movie.The climax of the movie will surprise you and where the movie is really showing it's strength.The Acting I agree is a mix at best but I have seen worse but the acting I'll say is Decent at best but Al,Leelee, Alicia and Neal's performances were not as bad people made it out to be Al made it work with his character along with him being on edge, Leelee shows she can actually act Neal was creepy each time he was screen. That being said I have to see 88 Minutes isn't a masterpiece but not a real bad movie it has something to make it worth the watch it just need time to be given the chance to take it for what it is worthI give 88 Minutes an 7 out of 10

Like Nick Of Time, 88 minutes runs in real running film time, kind of. Al Pacino, a criminal psychologist/specialist, responsible for delivering grand justice which sees a psychopath, Mcdonough, about to fry, for committing the brutal murder of a young Asian girl. The sister was very grateful towards Pacino, who I must admit, has done better acting then what's on offer here. This could also be the day, which sees Pacino buy the farm, where he's received an anonymous phone call, from someone telling him. he has 88 minutes to live where may'be he can vouch to see one last Seagal movie. What's interesting here, is that this phone threat and he receives other ones in that duration, is also connected with Mcdonough, who could very hold the key to putting a stop on the trigger where he's stalled execution could buy Pacino some time. 88 Minutes I must say is tastefully entertaining and involving, and has a tight back story but it's never really suspenseful. It really fails here, but in the thriller aspect it's quite good. The manipulator of ill will towards Pacino, I never made out, and will come as a surprise. A B grade suited flick, 88 Minutes is, while being very entertaining, the film terribly comes across as just that, B grade, a step by step film if you will, that's terribly average, where most of Pacino's other films are better than this, that really show this one up. The end was very climactic, though, and there are a couple of tense plotted situations. Pacino, and it's original premise, does give cause to watch it, though Al won't really earn any acting honors with you here.