When Eastern European criminals Oleg and Emil come to New York City to pick up their share of a heist score, Oleg steals a video camera and starts filming their activities, both legal and illegal. When they learn how the American media circus can make a remorseless killer look like the victim and make them rich, they target media-savvy NYPD Homicide Detective Eddie Flemming and media-naive FDNY Fire Marshal Jordy Warsaw, the cops investigating their murder and torching of their former criminal partner, filming everything to sell to the local tabloid TV show "Top Story."
Two horrifyingly bad hours that should stand as a reminder to keep Hollywood away from big issues or anything else it can put in its mouth and choke on.
– John Zebrowski,
Seattle Times,
9 Mar 2001
rotten:
A clumsy urban thriller.
– Mike Clark,
USA Today,
9 Mar 2001
rotten:
The movie is nothing if not ambitious. The movie is nothing if not overdone. The movie is also, well, pretty much ... nothing.
– Stephen Hunter,
Washington Post,
9 Mar 2001
rotten:
Herzfeld's a secondhand-meister, simply regenerating themes, styles and a story line that we've all seen -- and tired of -- somewhere before.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
9 Mar 2001
fresh:
It doesn't feel like a cookie-cutter cop thriller, and, on top of that, it's actually about something.