25th Hour (2003)

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 Amazon.com

Brilliant!

This resonated and awakened within, held me hostage and didn't let me go until the very end. Poignant, warm, serious, absorbing, plus the eye popping visual shots Spike Lee brings to the screen, simply put, was brilliant...absolutely brilliant! Ed Norton, is certainly spectacular...very much enjoyed because this is one movie, I couldn't figure out right to the end. Loved it!!! December 10, 2008

Fabulous movie!!!!

Edward Norton is so good in this film. If you enjoy his movies, then I would get it. It is a must have. November 29, 2008

Thought provoking movie (but checkout the book)

The 25th Hour (DVD)

While much focus under reviews of the movie has been on Spike Lee's involvement in the film of the book and use of the post 11/9 setting, this in large part overlooks that the movie started with the great asset of a well written novel with a unique and timely story. In addition the using of the author David Beniofff to also write the screenplay seems to have ensured that much of the book's strengths were not lost in the transition to the screen.

Despite the few sops made from the book to Hollywood story lines (an over emphasis on did the girlfriend betray the lead character now destined for 7 years in jail and the resultant conversion of the ending), there is much to admire in the movie especially in tracking the story mix of the course of the lead actor Ed Norton's last day of freedom and the flashbacks needed to explain why matters have turned out as they have.

While the film's main emphasis is inevitably on Norton, what is more interesting is how he pales (relatively) against the ensemble of other support roles from the spot on Wall Street financial trader aggression of Barry Pepper; the adrift personna of introverted academic Philip Seymour Hoffman; the confused Puerto Rican girlfriend of Rosario Dawson and the pained widowed father of Brian Cox. The film makes great use of long set up fixed shots where the book's core themes of friendships and personal loyalties under pressure are endlesssly explored, with most dramatic effect in two scenes from an apartment overlooking the cleared World Trade Centre site and in a bar scene before the party moves on to a dance club.

While Spike Lee deserves full credit for evoking the NY story and setting, this is definitely a production that is the sum of its many great parts (and the audio commentary from Lee and Benioff included as a DVD extra reconfirms this). September 21, 2008

Dissappointed

Unfortunately, the product was defected. I replied one of your e-mails offers mentioning this but I guess you didn't get the message. I lack of time and patience to go to the returning process so, since it does'nt happen that often I let it go. So I can't rate it. I couldn't watch it. It kept freezzing on me the whole time.
Rita August 27, 2008

Powerful flim

I saw 25th Hour, starring Edward Norton, last week, and I sooooo enjoyed it. In this movie, Norton plays Montgomery, a drug dealer who gets pinched by the DEA. The movie catalogues his final day of freedom before he goes to jail for 7 years on drug charges. He re-visits his old school, has dinner with his father (a wonderful turn by Brian Cox), and goes out one last time with his two best friends (played beautifully by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper) and his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson).

It seems ordinary enough, but every interaction is imbued with meaning because all involved realize what's on the other side of the evening - 7 long, horrible years in prison. Norton is marvelous in this. There is also an achingly quiet scene between Pepper and Hoffman, overlooking the hole that was Ground Zero, that I will remember for a long time.

The only complaint I have is an early scene, played between Norton and his reflection in the mirror, that I thought was too preachy and overwrought. The script circled back around to it later in the film, which redeemed the sequence somewhat, but mostly I felt that this could have been cut without detriment to the story.

Warning - there's alot of language here. But for a movie about a drug dealer, I can understand it. Watch this movie for the performances. July 28, 2008

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