96 Minutes
| 96 Minutes | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Aimée Lagos |
| Produced by |
|
| Cinematography | Michael Fimognari |
| Edited by | Aram Nigoghossian |
| Music by | Kurt Farquhar |
| Distributed by | Content Film[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
96 Minutes is a 2012 American dramatic thriller written and directed by Aimée Lagos. The film stars Brittany Snow, Evan Ross, J. Michael Trautmann, David Oyelowo and Christian Serratos. The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2011.[1] It was released in theaters on April 27, 2012.
Plot
For 96 minutes of one night, four young lives are slammed together in one terrifying act of violence. The events of the night unfold in real time as we intercut between the car and the beginning of that day, following the four separate stories and the seemingly innocuous decisions that lead them towards a terrifying and life changing conclusion. With no adults to guide them, they’re left on their own to try to survive not only this night but the shocking reality of the world they live in.
At first we see the four main characters: Karley, Lena, Kevin and Dre begin their day. Lena wakes up next to her boyfriend and they have a brief conversation about were he is going and what he will be doing for the day. There appears to be a trust issue between Lena and her boyfriend. After a few minutes he leaves and she is left alone in the room. The boyfriend happens to leave his phone in the room, Lena comes across the cell and sees a text from another woman, then throws the cell phone against the wall in anger. Dre is shown in the classroom and receives a test back from his teacher. He receives a grade that allows him to graduate. Kevin is a 16-year-old delinquent who is deeply disturbed by the domestic violence episodes that take place in his home. This seems to have made him aggressive over time. Kevin seeks to join the gang in his neighborhood and requests that "J J", the groups leader let him in. He is denied by the gang until he is told that if he steals his "daddy's" car he will be allowed to join the group. He is angry, stating: "he is not my father." Karley is on the phone with her father and asks her father to come to her graduation and by her reaction it seems that he has a meeting in Tokyo that he will Not be coming to her graduation. She tells him that she will only graduate once and that it would be important for her if he attended. There is a brief mention of Karley attending law school in the future while she accepts her fathers absence and gets a little teary. Lena comes to the school and sees her boyfriend hanging out with another girl and quickly leaves and goes to her car. She is so distraught that she shifts her car in to "drive" instead of "reverse" which leads to her hitting a tree right in front of her. Her friend comes out and comforts her, they make plans to have a "girls night out". The time shifts to the present where Kevin and Dre are driving in a stolen car with Lena and Karley held against their will in the back of the car. Karley pleads with her captors to take Lena to the hospital as she is losing a lot of blood. Kevin responds with hostility to the suggestion calling Lena a "bitch" and saying that they should let her die. Dre is very upset at Kevin and blames him for shooting Lena, while Kevin defends himself saying that it was her fault and blasting gangster rap style music in the car. Dre turns off the music and tells Kevin that he is an idiot for escalating the situation.
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Cast
- Brittany Snow as Karley
- Evan Ross as Dre
- Christian Serratos as Lena
- J. Michael Trautmann as Kevin
- David Oyelowo as Duane
- Jon Chaffin as JJ
- Anna Enger as Rachel
- Adam Trahan as Michael
- Sharon Morris as Rhonda
- Jessie Rusu as Jill
- Elena Varela as ER Doctor
- Hosea Chanchez as Harassing cop
- Sylvia Jefferies as Kevin's mom
- Justin Martin as Raymond
- Markice Moore as Keith
- Charles Van Eman as Professor
Reception
Critical response
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 47% based on reviews from 17 critics.[2]
Joe Leydon of Variety gave the film a positive review, noting that it "maintains a brisk pace and generates a satisfying degree of suspense" and that it "boasts strong performances by well-cast up-and-comers".[3]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Boston Film Festival | "Best Actress" – Brittany Snow | Won |
| "Best Director" – Aimee Lagos | Won | ||
| "Best Film" – Charlie Mason Paul Gilreath Aimee Lagos Justin Moore-Lewy Lee Clay |
Won | ||
| SXSW Film Festival | "Breakthrough Performance" – Evan Ross | Won | |
| St. Louis International Film Festival | "Emerging Filmmaker Award" – Aimee Lagos | Won | |
| Woodstock Film Festival | "Best Editing in a Narrative Feature" – Aram Nigoghossian | Won | |
| "Best Film" – Aimee Lagos | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b Content Film Grabs '96 Minutes,' Sundance Selects Takes 'Last Days Here' The Hollywood Reporter. 14 April 2011
- ^ 96 Minutes at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Joe Leydon (March 30, 2011). "96 Minutes". Variety.
External links
- 96 Minutes at IMDb
