(By Guest Reviewer Gary Dean Murray) Al Pacino is arguably the greatest living actor today. Just looking over his career proves the point. He’s been in all three “Godfather” films, “Scarface”, “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Serpico.” And that’s just a scratch of the surface. He received a long overdue Academy Award for “Scent of a Woman.” The story of ‘People I Know”, Al Pacino’s latest DVD, revolves around the world of public relations. Eli Wurman (Pacino) is a Georgia born, New York living, old school ‘go-to’ guy. He’s been in the business of a very long time and is at the end of his career. He has only one big client left, an Academy Award winning actor played by Ryan O’Neal. Eli has a heart for civil rights and is putting together a charity benefit for some deported Africans. Somewhere in his past, Eli gave up his dreams of law to work PR and to make the world a better place. But, his life doesn’t seem to have turned out exactly as he’d planned.

The different races that he has been trying to find a compromise for are yet again feuding. His Oscar winning client uses Eli more as a lapdog than a PR person. The office Eli runs seems to be falling apart at the seams. And it seems that Eli has medical and drug problems. So, he’s far from perfect.

Eli is sent to bail out a young TV starlet (Tea Leoni) and get her on a plane back to LA. But the starlet takes Eli to a high rise office building that happens to be an opium den. Eli and the girl meet some VIPs and get high. Then Eli takes the girl back to her hotel room. As she packs, Eli decides to pass out in the bathtub. And as he is going under, he thinks he sees someone come into the room and attack the girl. In the morning, Eli wakes up and doesn’t remember much of anything. The girl is splayed out on the bed and he leaves her.

As Eli wanders through his day, he tries to piece together the night. People keep trying to contact him and others are avoiding his call. And there are half-heard reports of a dead actress. Eli, still in a drug induced funk, does everything he can to keep his benefit and his life together. His widowed sister-in-law (Kim Basinger) wants Eli to leave the city and go with her back to the farm.

But questions keep coming up. Who was at the party and where exactly was the party? What happened in that hotel room? Why are people looking for some toy? As Eli weaves together his past, it seals the fate of his future.

The biggest problem with the film is that there is no action and no sense of action. This is supposed to be some kind of thriller, but it doesn’t have any thrills. It takes too long to establish the story and no time in making anyone care about the outcome of any character. While watching “People I Know” the question keeps popping up “Why am I watching this and should I care about anyone on the screen?” And neither answer is positive.

But, the performances save this film. Al Pacino’s character isn’t the least bit sympathetic, but Al gives it his all. He plays this tragic role with compassion. It’s obvious the trajectory Eli is going, but Pacino makes the ride palatable.

Tea Leoni puts an over the top spin on a seemingly stock character. She has the best female role in the film but it’s too short a performance. Kim Basinger, as the sorrowful widow, isn’t given anything to do. She is the listening post for Eli and not a character. She is wasted here. And it’s great to see Ryan O’Neal work in anything. Here, as the pompous slick star, he doesn’t seem to be playing that far from his own self. But, he’s aged well and has a regal politician glow.

The only DVD extras are two deleted scenes. One is a montage that was changed from the theatrical version and the other is a shot of the Twin Towers. Neither one made much of a difference in the final cut.

Director Dan Algrant gives great insight to his craft in the film but I don’t think he’s realized that he hasn’t made a great film, he’s just worked with some great actors.

This one is not worth owning, but it’s worth a look if you’ve seen everything else.

Directed by Dan Algrant
Written by Jon Robin Baitz
Starring Al Pacino, Kim Basinger, Tea Leoni, Ryan O’Neal and Richard Schiff
MPAA Rating R
Special Features: Deleted Scenes, Commentary Track with Director, French Language Track, Spanish Subtitles.
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We'll give People I Know a C+.