15 Minutes: Time flies

15 Minutes" is the latest in a long string of media spoofs a la "Network," mingled with the tried and true buddy cop formula initiated by the "Lethal Weapon" flicks. Cliched as this might sound, it's not. In fact, what results is an action-packed and darkly funny think piece.\nThe film chronicles the sordid misadventures of New York City's resident celebrity cop, Eddie Flemming (Robert DeNiro, churning out a performance reminiscent of Kevin Spacey in "L.A. Confidential") and a media-shy arson investigator, Jody Warsaw (Edward Burns).\nThe pair collaborates to nab a pair of Eastern European émigrés, Emil (Karel Roden) and Oleg (Oleg Taktarov), in the midst of a killing spree, which the mindless self-proclaimed auteur Oleg captures on a stolen camcorder. The makeshift snuff films catapult the homicidal duo to pseudocelebrity status as they surface on the "Hard Copy"-esque schlock news program "Top Story," hosted by Flemming's supposed ally and all-around bastard Robert Hawkins (an immensely smarmy Kelsey Grammer).\n"15 Minutes" is an interesting if not moderately flawed dissertation on journalistic ethics and modern society's fascination with the macabre. As Hawkins states early in the film, "If it bleeds, it leads." This is the theory by which writer-director John Herzfeld ("2 Days in the Valley") establishes the whole film, but the subject matter is betrayed by a half-cocked love story between Flemming and an attractive reporter named Nicolette (Melina Kanakaredes of TV's "Providence"). Also, the film occasionally becomes bogged down in its own obvious sermonizing.\nDeNiro is captivating and underused. He defies mere characterization and fleshes this media-hungry cop into a full, compelling and ultimately likable character. Burns proves his performance in "Saving Private Ryan" was no fluke and that he has the chops to fulfill the role of an appealing leading man. The supporting cast is ably led by the nefarious Roden, and the endearingly frightening Taktarov also shines, but to a lesser degree than the film's two stars.\nDespite its flaws, "15 Minutes" is a super-charged satirical thriller that will leave viewers pondering the current state of our media.