With Al Pacino currently in theaters in Righteous Kill (see our review that movie here), it brings to mind his recent role in 88 Minutes.

Pacino stars in another action-filled suspense thriller, this one about a forensic psychologist hunting a copy-cat killer all the while trying to protect women close to him before his predisposed murder, in 88 minutes. This mystery/drama has once again shown Pacino’s eye for danger that keeps the audience guessing to the very end.

Dr. Jack Graham (Pacino) is a renowned forensic psychologist working in Seattle when he receives a phone call telling him he has 88 minutes to live. Struggling with a death-row serial killer’s copy cat murderer on the loose, Graham realizes that the deaths are taking a personal direction when a tape of his murdered sister puts him in a difficult situation.

The provocative Lauren Douglas (Leelee Sobieski) is the unsuspecting copy-cat whose true belief lies in the behavior of the killers she admires. Her puppeteer, Jon Forster (Neal McDonough), sits in jail fighting off his pending death sentence, all the while planning the demise of Graham through the actions of their shared student.

As time quickly passes, “tic-toc doc,” Graham finds himself arguing with Forster during a live interview, where Forster reveals his role in some of the dangerous recurring events. Suspects seem to surround the paranoid doctor over the recent murders, which end being closely tied to him. After the phone-in interview Forster receives word that a stay has been granted, thus delaying his prolonged sentence, giving Graham less time to solve his own presumed murder.

Flashbacks in the movie go back to Graham’s baby sister. For some time we don’t understand why she is mentioned. Finally a turning point in the movie unfolds when Graham receives an audio recording of his sister’s death.

Pacino’s role as a surgeon to a killer’s mind is outstanding. His reasoning and the behavior of his own accord shows the brilliant intuition he possesses as an actor. At 68, he still offers that swagger of confidence that he starred in Scarface.

His partner during the movie, Kim Cummings (Alicia Witt), is Graham’s teacher’s assistant at Harvard. As she helps Graham piece the clues, trying to stay alive turns out to be an advantageous relationship for them both. Revealing dark secrets about one another, both characters hit a barrier that reluctantly draws them together.

McDonough’s performance is limited to the TV time or phone calls that are dialogued between him and Graham. The superb antagonist is no stranger to playing the bad guy. Playing the town drug dealer in Walking Tall, McDonough once again shows that his bright smile hides an evil smirk. Calm and obtrusive, this serial killer displays his passion for personal vengeance with a wicked mentality.

Lasting a total of 107 minutes, a little longer then the described 88, the unraveling plot actually unfolds quite right for the movie. There is no overload of information or secretive quick-eyed clues that you can’t miss. The story extends itself in an appropriate fashion.

Director Jon Avnet (who also directed Righteous Kill) did a fine job in delaying the suspense until the very end. If you like action with astounding mystery, this movie will keep you entertained and talking about it for some time. Enjoy Pacino on the screen, too, this is definetly a contending top 10 movie for his esteemed collection of films.

Wheatley Stefan is a film enthusiast and intern for the New River Voice.