96 Minutes (2011)

I just finished watching the film 96 Minutes starring Evan Ross on Netflixs. As I was watching this movie, I was amazed and hooked to the screen, I loved how it continued to go from past to present, past to present and so on and so on. Finial as we get to the scene where Carley or whatever her name was, finally got to a hospital and it seemed like the movie was going to end, it had a turning point into what happened after the drama. Now I was guessing that the white kid "Kevin" would be in jail, and Carley would explain to the police that Dre was the only reason she and her friend stayed alive or he would have done some time then went an did something in college or university cause in the beginning he looked like he had a bright future... But NOOOO Dre ended up in jail, the friend died, and the white kid... I don't even know what the hell happened to him and Carley or whatever her name is "Brittany Snows" character goes to the jail or prison to speak with Dre about how he's a monster and how he killed her friend, and that the district attorney wants her to leave a quote or statement about Dre, and this girl says she's he doesn't deserve to live in the world she lives in, he ruined her life and she wakes up in the morning in the night with his face in her mind.... WHAT THE HELL! OK first off who wrote this damn script or ending scene cause, Kevin is the one that shot her and her friend, but she's not yelling at the white guy that forced her to give up her keys to her truck, give him her purse, then try to make her take off her pants beside her almost dead friend with the bullet in her face just so he can get some?!... Are you SERIOUS! AND YOUR CALLING THE BLACK GUY A MONSTER... Please. Now I know this is just a movie, but honestly I have had it with this damn urban, or "hood" African American, young black male trying to survive in the ghetto movies that don't betray us right or have the white man the hero, and us the villain, in exception to good movies that try to move African Americans like Boyz in the Hood, or Clockers, Do the right thing, Jason's Lyric. Now those were classics. And your gonna end this movie with the white valley girl who's dad doesn't go to her graduation, and she's all depressed cause her dad's not there... NOT THERE, there's plenty ethic not just African Americans women or young girls who's dad's live down the street and they never see them... But that's besides the fact now this movies ending wanted the viewers to feel sympathy for Carley, but I'm sorry, I felt for her, up until the last scene. And then she drives away all happy and relieved it's all over. But Dre remains in bars. Smh, I'm a 17 year old girl who lives in this world today, and if I'm the only African American person who sees this as a reminder that they see us like that, the ending result. We are slaves in prisons. We are forever prisoners. Unless we set ourselves free.

I loved this film! The actors were AMAZING!! J. Michael Trautmann absolutely stole the show! My whole family hated Kevin, he was out of control!! I thought J. Michael really brought out Kevin's angst and stapled the fact that fear breeds anger and hate. I would have liked to see his end, though. The whole film we were geared to sympathize with every other character and despise Kevin and the gang members. I felt a bit cheated by having to learn of his death from Carly and Dre. Even a short shot of him laying shanked in the yard, something. I thought the pacing was excellent, too. The jumping back and forth throughout the day helped, but there was a briskness to the film that made those sinking moments really resonate. It was interesting to see Brittany Snow play this type of character, it suited her well. And Evan Ross was pretty good, too. But J. Michael's acting had me glued to the screen, you had no idea what he was gonna do next. My favorite little part, that made me smile was when he knocked the phone off before entering the gas station. And did he kill the clerk or not??! We all found an actor on the rise to keep on the look out for; I'm excited to see his next movie! Great job, J!!

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)

"I never should have gotten out of bed this morning." Carley (Snow) is about to graduate from college and her father isn't interested in attending. Lena (Serratos) just found out that her boyfriend is cheating on her. Dre (Ross) just found out that he will be able to graduate high school and finally has found a way out of gang life. Kevin (Trautmann) wants nothing more then to join a gang. When him and Dre get into an argument that ends up in carjacking the car that belongs to Carley with Lena has a passenger. The best way to describe this is "Crash" with teens. Total strangers who are all connected by one event that threatens to ruin all of them. This is very moving, powerful and intense. I highly recommend this one but much like "Crash" it's not really one you can watch over and over. The acting is great and the movie is a mix of flashbacks and current events that really make you feel connected to the characters and find your self sad and angry all at once. Overall, a surprisingly good movie that deserves to be watched. I give it a B+