Al Pacino’s 88 Minutes - The Review Is In

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88 Minutes is the story of FBI Forensic Psychologist and University Professor, Jack Gramm (Pacino) ,who is being threatened, for his part in the conviction of Jon Forster, a serial killer played by Neal McDonough.

A copycat killer is now on the loose and one of Jack’s students is killed. Jack receives a phone call on the eve of Forster’s execution, telling him that Jack only has 88 minutes to live….and so the story begins.

With a made-for-TV feel, the movie was really tough to get into. The casting of Alicia Witt as Jack’s teacher’s aid was a real drag (loved her as Zoey in Cybill in the mid-90s, but now she’s just painful to watch) and all the other flat characters are likely to blame. Despite the drawbacks, I found Pacino’s character incredibly intriguing. At the beginning of the movie, he’s a little difficult to size up, but by the end you see that he is exactly what he portrays himself

Although the story is set in Seattle, Washington the movie was largely filmed in downtown Vancouver, B.C. As a born and raised Vancouverite, I couldn’t quite distract myself from this fact, but that could be one reason I seem to have liked this movie than the critics.

Overall, the movie is watchable and the fact that it takes place in real-time kept me glued to the screen. Despite the fact that most of the characters lacked any depth, the movie did keep you guessing most of the way through.

The movie also stars: Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman, William Forsythe and more.

Learn More: 88 Minutes