Search - 25th Hour on DVD

Greed, lust and distrust, set against the aftermath of 9/11

Samuel McKewon | Lincoln, NE | 04/17/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Spike Lee's "The 25 Hour" is the story of a New York drug dealer's long last night of freedom before a seven-year prison stint. It is a sad movie for a bunch of reasons, but most notably for the way the Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) wastes his final night in a deafening, public night club, with childhood friends he no longer really knows, and a girlfriend he no longer trusts. By the following morning, Monty knows some things that might have changed that final night for the better, but then Monty's whole life has played out that way, learning things after the fact. It's why he's going to prison. Edward Norton is entrenched in this kind of character -- a smart, quick-talking brooder, aware of his risks, but willing to roll the dice. But much like Norton's torn characters of "Fight Club" and "American History X," Monty senses something lacking about his masculinity; it isn't the length of time in jail that worries him, it's the first night. He rubs his pretty boy face, pretty certain he'll be raped or killed. His Russian mobster boss tells him to beat someone up, and bad, or else. "The only thing I learned about prison," the mobster says, "is that I don't like prison." Monty gathers two old friends, one a Jewish literature teacher, Jacob, (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), the other a hopped-up stockbroker, Francis, (Barry Pepper) for a night of reconciliation, celebration. The girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), comes along, although she and Monty aren't speaking much, since Monty believes it was Naturelle who turned him into the DEA. Did she? The movie argues for both possibilities and then reveals the answer. Dawson is not a great actor, but she finds her mark with Naturelle, a young, Latin beauty who loves Monty but keeps her distance; she's sad and kind, but she's also the hottest thing on the block, and not particularly subject to loyalty laws once Monty's gone. The friends fight their own demons. Jacob, the English teacher, is more intrigued by a student (Anna Paquin) who joins Monty's party at the club. Stockbroker Francis fights a movie-long battle on whether to lust after Naturelle, or berate her. There is also Monty's father (Brian Cox), a semi-reformed alcoholic bartender who blames his poor example for his son's fate. "The 25th Hour" is, then, a jack-of-all-trades lament, set against the World Trade Center cleanup of 9/11, which Lee displays prominently throughout the film. It creates a deliberate pall over the film, as does the loud, melodramatic score that plays during many scenes. The terrorist attacks play a central role in a lengthy rant that Norton delivers straight to the camera -- the centerpiece of the film, it's a angry treatise on the disgust of New York that also doubles as its charms; like most New Yorkers, Monty has a tough love for his city, but it's a deep love nonetheless. Bottle this scene up and you've got a perfect movie. Lee wanders a bit -- the screenplay isn't quite good enough to justify such emphasis on Jacob's storyline -- but "The 25th Hour" ends on a provocative note that explores a choice that has been in front of Monty all along. It's farfetched, intentionally so, and the kind of wish we'd all like to have when we're faced with steep consequence. The scene only works if we think Monty, through his remorse, has earned the right to dream it. And Norton sells it, in one of his best performances."

Film techniques add interest and edginess to this fine story

Linda Linguvic | New York City | 08/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Spike Lee film is a hard-edged story of a convicted drug dealer on the last day before he has to serve a 7-year prison sentence. Edward Norton stars in this role and brings all his excellent acting talents to the task of taking a long last look at the New York City he loves as well as the important people in his life. There's his girlfriend, played by Rosario Dawson, who just might be the person who betrayed him to the cops. There's his father, played by Brian Cox, who blames himself for his son going astray. There are his two best friends, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper, who know that their friend will never be the same again. Add a couple of Russian gangsters to this mix, as well as a precocious teenager, played by Anna Paquin, whose seductiveness tempts Philip Seymour Hoffman into making an unwise decision, and the scene is set for an intriguing, fast-paced film. I liked the theme, which was about being responsible for the consequences of your actions, and I liked Spike Lee's interpretation of it. I especially liked some of his film techniques. Sometimes the colors are altered to show the main characters bathed in blue. And, during the sequences that get inside Norton's mind, the colors are glaring neon. This adds to the interest and the edginess of the film.The story is easy to relate to. The characters are real. The acting is the finest that the film industry has to offer. And there's a director who has his own personal style of bringing it all to life. You can't go wrong with that combination.Recommended."