96 Minutes (2011)

A Disappointing Continuation

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Wow, what a heartfelt, beautiful piece of film making. It starts of slightly confusing and I was somewhat afraid of a college thriller type thing, which it is thankfully not. Of course the comparisons with "Crash" come to mind, but to me this was even more effective and emotionally charged. Especially because of the story of the extremely troubled Kevin. On the other hand, his story might be the least believable to some viewers. He is fact the protagonist here, and his actions are what drive the entire story. His, and the divided Dre's failure to make his own decisions. And they are so extreme, that you dare not think people like Kevin actually exist. Kevin is played very well by J. Michael Trautmann as is Dre by Evan Ross. Everyone for that matter is awesome in their roles, but I was particularly astonished (again) by the masterful David Oyelowo, who so convincingly pulls of the righteous black American neighborhood uncle I'd almost swear it was a lookalike actor playing the character.I can't remember how I came across this, but I picked it up cheaply on Amazon and was pretty much engrossed till the last bitter minute. There's one thing I don't understand here. The rating... This deserves so much more, check it out and find out what I mean 8/10

I've never been as emotionally struck by the heaviness of the drama as in this movie. It was an insight into a world of violence and depravity. I found myself stuck in conflict with my emotions of empathy and judgement towards the antagonists in the movie. I mouthed out loud WTF in one scene, that's how captivated I was by the movie.Thank you Aimee Lagos for making a movie that will change the way I view gang life in America, and thank you Kurt Farquhar for making a soundtrack that is inspiring and captures the emotional heaviness and depth of the movie. All critics of this movie who don't see the value this movie has towards teaching the ignorant world around this life and fates should think more than once about the message the movie manages to portray.Thumbs up!

This is the movie obviously made in the vein of an Alejandro González Iñárritu movie or a movie like "Crash" if you will. Problem however is that it's clearly a less clever or well written version of a Alejandro González Iñárritu movie, made with far less talented people involved as well.There is plenty wrong with this movie and its story and way of storytelling, so I don't even know where to begin really. But I do believe that the biggest problem is not even necessarily with its story but lies more with its characters. There is not one likely enough character in this movie, that you could ever start to care for. It's also because none of them ever get developed properly enough but also because most of them simply don't do anything likable at all in this movie. You just don't feel any sympathy or involved with any of them, which makes this a very distant movie to watch already.And no, it clearly doesn't help that the characters aren't played by the most talented actors. It actually shows how these type of movies can really benefit from a strong, all-star cast and how terribly uninteresting these sort of movies can work out, without an impressive cast.But there is also clearly plenty wrong with the story itself. It's just not connected very well or cleverly all. It doesn't feel organic in any way, which is also partly due to some poor dialog. It's all too forced and unlikely and not everything comes together very well, which also results in a pretty abrupt and unsatisfying ending.Also the constant switching around between 'past' and 'present' events in the movie is not balanced out too well. With this storytelling technique the two things should strengthen each other and add to the movie its tension or mystery but in this case it only mostly works out as redundant and even somewhat annoying. It sometimes spend too much time in the 'present' while not showing enough the events that led up to the movie its 'conflict', which already is a pretty ridicules, unlikely and poorly handled conflict to begin with. Some of the choices that some of the characters make in this movie just aren't very likely at all, which makes you feel even less involved with all of it.And yes, I'm probably still being too kind about this movie with my rating. I don't completely trash it because it's a smaller movie, with a small budget and with all some very average people involved. Still it's not really worth seeing, though at the same time it's also far from the worst thing you'll ever see.5/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Movies in which separate story lines converge are tricky to pull off, and "96 Minutes" is an example of the ways in which it can go wrong. This is not to say that the film is a total failure or even bad; it simply doesn't reach its full potential. Writer/director Aimee Lagos is obviously sincere in her efforts, and through her characters and the desperate situation four of them end up in, she makes some valid points about class, race, and the legal system. The issue is not the intent, but the execution. Some of the dialogue, for one thing, is just shy of preachy, which in turn makes specific situations seem mechanical and forced. There's also the fact that, because the story weaves several story lines together, it occasionally veers into territory that's either completely incidental or so distantly related that its overall effect is negligible.It also doesn't adequately explain the ninety-six minutes referred to in the title, seeing as the film takes place over the course of roughly a day. In all likelihood, it's a reference to an incident in which the lives of four people are irrevocably changed. I'll delve into that more in a minute. For the time being, let me reiterate that the film has all the right ingredients. What it lacks is a practical method of stirring them together into a cohesive and satisfying whole. Having said that, there is a certain degree of power to the ending, in which the fates of two characters are revealed. It's not simply of outcome; we are made to really think about what has happened to them and why. It effectively addresses the notion that in life we have choices, and with those choices come good or bad consequences.The film freely shifts back and forth through time, intercutting between a dramatic carjacking and the events leading up to it. For the purposes of clarity, I'll go against its freeform structure and describe the plot in chronological order. Taking place in Georgia, we meet a college student named Carley (Brittany Snow), who studies law and is usually too busy to take a break from schoolwork. This is largely due to her father, and while he's never seen, it's made perfectly clear that he places great pressure on his daughter to succeed. He tells her over the phone that he'll be too busy to attend her graduation. That's not the one that counts, anyway; he'll be there when she graduates from law school, which has always been the plan for her. But does she really want to become a lawyer?Next, we meet a high school student named Dre (Evan Ross), who comes from a crime-infested neighborhood and attends the kind of high school where you have to pass through a metal detector at the entrance. Although he has been working hard academically and is eligible to graduate, he finds himself torn between pursuing an education and staying loyal to his gang roots. Part of him knows that, in the real world, he will be seen as yet another African American statistic. His dilemma is exacerbated by his friend, Kevin (J. Michael Trautmann), an angry sixteen-year-old. He lives with his mom, who's not only negligent but is also dating a man that abuses them both. Kevin doesn't attend school. He has no prospects. His only goal is to join a local gang. They tell him to steal someone's car, although they have no intention of letting him in.Dre takes Kevin to an area just outside of the college in an attempt to offer a healthier means of escape. A confession leads to an altercation, which then motivates Kevin to go through with a carjacking. As it so happens, Carley has just left a bar with one of her classmates, Lena (Christian Serratos), who knows her boyfriend is a womanizing jerk and yet can't stand the thought of him not loving her. As they reach Carely's SUV, they're approached by Kevin, who at gunpoint demands that they both get in. Lena isn't as quick to react, and so Kevin shoots her. Dre, now in a panic, takes the driver's seat. What is he to do? If he does the right thing and takes Lena to the hospital, both he and Kevin will get caught, and both their futures will forever be ruined. If he lets Kevin kill both Lena and Carley, they may escape, but he will have a tremendous burden weighing on his conscience.At no point are Dre's current living circumstances made entirely clear. We see him living alone in a barren house, and while it is feasible to assume that he's taking care of himself, he has no apparent source of income. The film is further weakened by several superfluous and barely related subplots, one being Lena's relationship with her roommate and her insecurities over her boyfriend. Another involves the owner of a small barbecue restaurant, whose primary function is to conveniently reappear at a time when he's needed most. We learn about his nephew, who has finally discovered girls and is ready to start dating. This is compelling in and of itself, but as part of "96 Minutes," it's just filler material. This movie doesn't quite work, although I do give Lagos credit for trying.-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)