Starring: Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin Directed By: Spike Lee Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Walt Disney Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: May 20, 2003 Running Time: 135 minutes Theatrical Release Date: January 10, 2003
Amazon.com: 25th Hour is a eulogy, mourning the New York of post-September 11, 2001, and the regrettable life of one of the city's least reputable citizens. Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) isn't a bad guy--in fact he's a mensch, adopting a battered dog in the film's mood-setting opening scene, and leading a decent life with his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson)... when he's not dealing narcotics. Facing a seven-year prison term, Monty spends his last free night with pals (Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman) and visiting his understanding father (Brian Cox), while a Russian drug lord pressures him for getting busted. Lee directs this plotless, no-win scenario as the last gasp of a guy with nowhere to go, and the film (written by David Benioff, from his own novel) suffers from a similar loss of potential, lacking enough focus to make Monty's odyssey compelling. Instead, 25th Hour (which also costars Anna Paquin) rambles from scene to lazy scene, vaguely lamenting that lives have been wasted, some by terrorism, others by self-destruction. --Jeff Shannon
Description: Academy Award(R)-nominee Edward Norton (Best Actor, 1999, AMERICAN HISTORY X) heads an amazing all-star cast in the critically acclaimed Spike Lee (SUMMER OF SAM, DO THE RIGHT THING) film 25th HOUR. In 24 short hours Monty Brogan (Norton) goes to prison for seven long years. Once a king of Manhattan, Monty is about to say good-bye to the life he knew -- a life that opened doors to New York's swankest clubs but also alienated him from the people closest to him. In his last day on the outside, Monty tries to reconnect with his father (Brian Cox, THE BOURNE IDENTITY), and gets together with two old friends, Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman, ALMOST FAMOUS) and Slaughtery (Barry Pepper, THE GREEN MILE). And then there's his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson, MEN IN BLACK 2), who might (or might not) have been the one who tipped off the cops. Monty's not sure of much these days, but with time running out, there are choices to be made as he struggles to redeem himself in the 25th hour.
25th Hour I love this movie because of Ed Norton's performance. He is one of my favorit actors. I would like to see him have more parts.
Criminals are always playing spin the bottle and sooner or later it is going to point to the ugly. One of the many things that make 25th hour such a special film to me is how Benioff and Lee didn't attempt to cram too many events into this plot. This film does take place in just one day, and it's a perfect snapshot of the lead protagonist Monty Brogan's thoughts and actions in that final day before he begins a 7 year jail sentence for dealing heroin, expertly put together by David Benioff and Spike Lee. We see Brogan (superbly played by Edward Norton) walking his dog, talking to his girlfriend, having a meal with his father, going out to a club with his friends, preparing to go to jail and being driven there. It's not over the top, it isn't brash, but it does do what is necessary.
Brogan is clearly worried and regretful. This is faultlessly portrayed by the mirror scene, in which he rants incessantly about the variety of people populating New York, and then realizes that he only has himself to blame for the situation he is in. It's such a human moment, since how many people can honestly say that they have never chosen to blame others, and take their anger out in a vicious way, even if it is just personal thoughts? But it isn't just Monty who feels regret, virtually every other character we focus on does, Monty's father is weighed down by his former alcoholism, and he partly holds himself responsible for Monty's fate. And so do Monty's friends, not preventing him from his choice to deal drugs.
Monty Brogan is not really shown in a 'good' or 'bad' light. Norton plays him as a normal person. He's easy to relate to, and it's a reminder of how anyone can turn out depending on what choices they make. His choice of drug dealing is looked down upon, the interrogators ridicule him, but that is only in the context of drug dealing, not as a normal person. Benioff and Lee were keen to show his actions like this.
The film is skillfully made, from the very tasteful opening credit scene acknowledging 9/11 (another honest feature about the film, which is an important theme throughout), where we see the lights at ground zero dropping from the sky, to the fantasy scene with Monty and his father in the car near the end, where they think about the family he could have had, all surreally dressed in while. Terence Blanchard's score too is one of the most beautiful I've heard in a recent film along with Michael Andrews score for Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition). The film tells it like it is. It's about decision making, it's about responsibility and it's about real friendship. It's realistic on an emotional level and is now one of my favorite Spike Lee Joints.
Haunting and beautifully filmed - but is it all it seems? As 'A Spike Lee Joint,' 25th hour is part of the ongoing Lee paradigm, filled with his typical style, directorial vigour, and cinematic gloss. A flowing, feature length music video, containing a story that is coherent, topical and, above all, strongly analytical in its approach to the characters, 25th Hour is the story of mid level drug dealer (Monty Brogan - Ed Norton) whom, on his last day before being incarcerated for his illicit trade, must make peace with his family and friends, answer to his Red Mafiya/Vory v zakone suppliers, say farewell to the city he so obviously loves and, ultimately, accept that he is now in receipt of justified dues.
With a post 9/11 setting in NYC, the script deviates from the book (which was written pre-9/11) only slightly in order to encompass the destruction, yet the atmosphere is set with the opening credits and a slice of dialogue during the first quarter (followed by some beautifully filmed cutaways of a sodium lit night-time clean-up crew, working in Ground Zero) which leaves the audience with no alternative but to associate the main characters' desperate tableau with plight of the city in the aftermath of tragedy. Lee - love him or loathe him for it - is known for his preaching and, right or wrong, seems to be suggesting that perhaps the terrible events of 9/11 have some twisted, if unjustified, reason. Lee later strongly denied this was his intention, in an enigmatic yet vague interview, and if he's criticised for it, has only himself to blame.
This could perhaps beg the question: What was so bad about how Monty made his living to warrant the end of his life (in effect) in the 25th Hour?
This is a question answered before it's asked, with the first scene after the opening credits showing an exchange between Monty and a dishevelled wreck of a man who is quite clearly one of his customers. It's further reinforced in a later flashback to Monty's earlier days as a dealer when the same man approaches Monty dressed in business attire. The destruction of others for personal gain is something that will not - and quite rightly so - go unchallenged.
Relying somewhat on symbolism and hidden meanings, there are a number of subtexts, as well as ample opportunities to read into the narrative more than is intended, but the overall message is clear: culpability is in the hands of the bearer, and with his last 24 hours of freedom sifting away and the eponymous 25th Hour quickly approaching Monty must see that blame can only lie with himself.
25th Hour's greatest achievement is in relaying a subtle, but highly relevant parable in a manner of storytelling that is both enjoyable and compelling. Very few words are wasted and the dialogue remains taught and muscular throughout. The editing, acting, score, direction and cinematography are all of the very highest standard. Whether or not you agree Lee's intention was to illustrate a larger picture - that maybe The US was in receipt of ineluctable retribution - is another story.
What was this film about ? I understand the film tries to portray the fact that many people in their everday life commit crimes. Also I guess the movie came after sept 11 so it makes a reference to ground zero. There is a section where Edward Norton rants against the system, against the asians, sikhs, arabs and whites. Throught out the film I was trying to make sense of where the movie was heading. Dont get me wrong it was a very different movie and did not try to do the same thing as the steorotypical hollywood film but still the disperate story threads which did not have much connection to one other kind of threw me off. Edward Norton plays the drug peddler who gets caught with illegal cash, mops over it and then intends to party with this very close friends and enjoy his last night before going to jail. Phillip Seymore plays one of the friends who is a school teacher who has a crush on his 17 year student. The other friend is a risky stock gambler on wall street. Edward Norton suspects his girl friend of blowing the whistle on him, spends time with his friends as they bring out the skeletons in their cupboard, asks his friends to rough him up so that he does not look too neat when he enters prison, and then gets an offer from his dad to become a volunatry fugitive and lead a new life. At the ends I did not quite get what the film added upto and what Spike Lee is trying to convey in this story. There are seperate story lines which portray the immoral acts of some of the characters. Sure it talks of mistrust, suspiciouns and our own personal immoral crimes. But it doesn't compare to selling drugs, that can't be condoned. And so what was this film about. What was the message...?
regards, Vikram
Flawless film that will haunt your dreams... Spike Lee masterfully delivers to us `25th Hour', a film so rich with character development and emotion that we are drawn in to each passing frame. In fact I can't say that Lee has ever been this graceful, this articulate or this brilliant before. If any film should have landed him an Oscar it would have to be this film, but sadly `25th Hour' was utterly ignored by Oscar, which is a shame since it truly is one of the best films of the given year. `25th Hour' is such a richly fulfilled film, a feature so complete in every category that it's hard to believe it was snubbed so extremely. From the script to the actors to the masterful direction `25th Hour' is in a word `flawless'.
The story revolves around drug dealer Monty Brogan who was just busted and sentenced to 8 years in prison. On his last night of freedom he purposes to find the person that set him up, the person who called in that anonymous tip that started his spiral of bad luck.
Was it his best friend Frank?
Was it his shy and reclusive friend Jacob?
Was it his beautiful girlfriend Naturelle?
While the film revolves around one night, the said night is so full of rich development that we are never bored, never stagnant and never rushed. The night beautifully captures the feeling of panic, the feeling of impending disaster but never lets loose of his relaxed pace and delivery. The lighting, the mood, the atmosphere is all magnificently captured by Spike Lee and company.
And what an impressive company he has. Edward Norton; one of the greatest working actors, is utterly amazing here. Yet another Oscar caliber performance (how is it that he is nominated for everything he does?). As Monty he fleshes out the very soul of this man, the rough exterior that melts away to reveal the vulnerable and frail fear within his heart. You have two aspects to this man and he breathes life to each side. You have his breathtaking monologue in the mirror and his heartbreaking final scene with co-star Barry Pepper. Speaking of Pepper, he nails his performance as Frank; the aggressive arrogance and almost snooty air that only masks his apparent loyalty and devotion. Philip Seymour Hoffman has always been a great supporting player but this is one of his finest performances in my opinion. It's not as showy as his more recent and beloved work and I think that plays to his interests here. He is reserved and subtle and thus endearing and memorable. His scene with Anna Paquin at the club is devastatingly real. Anna Paquin is also effortlessly captivating here as Mary, the flirtatious student for whom Jacob pines. Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox are also great here, not as standout as the four I've mentioned but definitely not lacking in any area.
Spike Lee though is the star of this film. Taking Benioff's script (which he adapted from his novel of the same name) and turning it loose on us in such a visually stimulating form Spike was able to pulverize me with one of the most effortlessly mesmerizing films I've seen in a long time.
Sure it's just one night, but it's one night you'll never forget.
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