15 Minutes

Cops, criminals and on-camera commentators go to the extremes to achieve fame and fortune in John Herzfeld's action-packed thriller. Robert DeNiro is typecast as the gun-toting, foul-mouthed New York City cop who teams up with a young arson investigator (Edward Burns) to catch a serial killer and his Hollywood-obsessed sidekick who films the murders. Seamless transitions between the home movies and the authentic footage capture the gruesome gore with impressive skill and energy. Though the script frays toward the end with a ridiculous macho man drawn from the Old West and an unconvincing legal dance reminiscent of the Johnny Cochran days, there is a poignant social commentary on media's greed and viewers' gullibility, told through surprise cameos and aggressive performances.