Al Pacino Traipses Through 88 Tick Tocking Minutes

Al Pacino is obviously his usual brilliant self in wannabe psychological thriller “88 Minutes” – it’s enough to lay eyes on him. Too bad the director and screenwriter have no idea how to capitalize on his genius.

What the movie does capitalize on, though one wonders if purposefully, is Al Pacino’s good looks. I for one am decidedly partial to his shiny dark hair, bushy eyebrows and dignified wrinkles, though his tan may be a wee too much. Never mind that though.

Pacino portrays Dr. Jack Gramm, a prosperous looking Seattle university professor and forensics expert, whose students are obviously smitten with his intellectual prowess as well as his sexy allure. Gram frequently testifies for the prosecution in court and has helped lock away bad guys.

He is famous for sending one particular serial killer, years ago, to Death Row. When he receives one ghastly phone call in which he is announced that he will be killed within the following, yes indeed, 88 minutes, Gramm finds himself in the confounding situation of identifying the person making the deadly promise – is it a copycat or has the wrong man been jailed?

Throughout the ordeal, Gramm is constantly accompanied by one or another of the bevy of beauties naturally present in such a forensics superstar’s life: his loyal personal assistant (Amy Brenneman), always ready with necessary information; a besotted graduate student (Alicia Witt); the dean of the university where he teaches (Deborah Kara Unger); and his star student (Leelee Sobieski).

Each of these women becomes a suspect, as the plot thickens and thickens and borders on cementing. It unfortunately feels like screenwriter Gary Scott Thompson had the sparkle of a good idea and then forever lost it yet insisted on writing more and more and more, in hopes of being reunited with it yet again.

Director Jon Avnet has no better luck and is similarly burdened with confusion.

Some parts are too polished, such as Gramm’s fortified apartment (complete with safes and stashed gun) or the images of the murder victims, while others are badly tarnished. The criminal threatening to end his life makes dutiful calls, announcing “83 minutes, tick-tock, doc,” and so on throughout a supposedly exhilarating countdown, yet no thrills jump from the screen to clutch your heart. It just gets more boring with time, although Pacino does his yelling, swearing and jumping from explosion sites nicely.

Watch “88 Minutes” if you want to see Pacino, no matter the context. Don’t watch if you can’t bear disappointment in connection with this living legend.

88 Minutes

Opens on Friday nationwide. Running time: 1 hour 8 minutes. Rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian).

Directed by Jon Avnet; written by Gary Scott Thompson.

Starring Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Amy Brenneman, Leelee Sobieski, Deborah Kara Unger, Benjamin McKenzie.

Via eluxmedia.com