An Amazing Cast With Character Sells Us Long Before "The 25th Hour"
Written: Feb 05 '04 (Updated Mar 29 '07)
Product Rating:
Pros: Excellent acting, intriguing characters, well written, well directed, decent plot, use of soundtrack
Cons: Spike Lee rants
The Bottom Line: When Monty Brogan gets nailed for drug possession and trafficking, he is sentenced to 7 years in prison. This is his last night before he goes away. What a night.
In the series premiere of "Sports Night," Jeremy Goodwin (an expert on sports trivia and a cute, geeky character), is forced to talk about basketball with repeated demands by the woman interviewing him for the job on Sports Night about what the New York Nicks can do to improve their game. His final answer in his desperate rant is "Tell Spike Lee to sit down and shut the hell up!" His answers get him the job. After seeing "25th Hour," it's easy to see why. The only real strike against this movie are the moments that Edward Norton's Monty turns toward the camera and dives into a rant against everyone and everything in New York City. This loud, hate-filled outburst seems so out of place and uncharacteristic that one wonders why Spike Lee left (or put) it in. It robs the movie of perfection.
That said, "The 25th Hour" is the story of Monty Brogan's last twenty-four hours before he goes off to jail. Monty spends the day connecting with his friends, Jacob and Frank, pushing his loving girlfriend away, and saying good-by to his father and the criminals for whom he took the fall. These are the agonizing last hours of a convicted drug peddler trying to put his life in order and understand how he got to the point he is now at.
"The 25th Hour" had one of the most depressing previews I have ever seen when I saw it in the movie theater and my thought was "Why would anyone want to go see a movie that looks so unrelentingly depressing?" The preview people got it wrong. While "The 25th Hour" has an encompassing sense of impending doom, it does not portray Monty nearly as depressed, resigned and depressing to watch as the preview did.
In fact, Monty Brogan is a criminal we feel bad for. The film almost entirely neglects that this is a man who sold drugs, which ruin people's lives (that is characterized through a single character whose deterioration into a wasted junkie is shown), and instead illustrates the consequences to the good people who surround him as a result of his collapse. We see not only Monty's struggle, but the compelling feelings of helplessness of Jacob and self-loathing of Frank over how they let their friend fall so far.
Spike Lee does an amazing job of directing. "The 25th Hour" has a very distinctive look and feel of post-September 11th New York City. Lee does a great job visually keeping the movie flowing and his use of soundtrack, especially in the club near the film's end, is great.
"The 25th Hour" also does an excellent job of portraying dynamic characters. Mary is not simply a spoiled rich girl, Naturelle is not simply a token Latino or token girlfriend, and it is impossible to deny that Monty is more than just a criminal. Speeding to make a buy, Monty stops to rescue a seriously hurt dog. It's details like that that push "The 25th Hour" beyond the bland stereotypes and archetypes of the typical crime dramas.
What solidifies this movie is the amazing cast. Brian Cox plays Monty's father as resigned and considerate, a far cry from his "X-Men 2" (reviewed at: http://www99.epinions.com/content_103982796420 ) role. Anna Paquin's Mary is a nice step away from her other roles, as well. And while I'm a big fan of Phillip Seymour Hoffman (his role in "Magnolia" is perfectly executed), Barry Pepper as Frank steals the spotlight in every scene the two of them are together in. Pepper is acerbic and plays Frank with so much oozing self-loathing that, despite the fact that half the lines that come out of his mouth characterize him as a jerk, make it impossible not to feel for this deeply wounded man.
But the top billing rightfully goes to Edward Norton. The movie is Monty's and Norton makes Monty someone to care about. Without any trace of the angry man from "Fight Club," the clown from "Losing the Faith" or the arrogance of his character from "The Score," Norton plays Monty as a cunning man who got caught. There is a simple magnificence to the resigned looks in his eyes, face and slumping of his shoulders as he descends into acceptance of all that has happened to him. Conversely, he plays the flashbacks where Monty is at the top of his game with more of a stride, more confidence, exactly what one would expect from the character at that time in his life.
At the end of the day, "The 25th Hour" is good drama and it's entertaining. The viewer quickly invests in the characters and becomes intrigued by the struggles of each of them. And perhaps the most refreshing aspect is the lack of resolution at the end. Sure, all of the important plot points (like who got Monty caught) are revealed, but the way the end opens up the possibilities keeps the movie fresh and very easy to watch repeated viewings of. The DVD has some nice deleted scenes and the commentary is not bad, either.
"The 25th Hour" illustrates the caliber of greatness of some of the actors, directors, and editors of our new century. Far superior to Lee's "He Got Game," "The 25th Hour" solidifies the idea that Spike Lee is a master storyteller in the film medium. He certainly knows what to do with quality actors when he gets them. Rating is closer to 4 1/2.
A handsome, young white man from Manhattan goes to jail tomorrow for seven years after being convicted on drug charges. He sees the world though compl...More at HotMovieSale.com
Academy Award nominee Edward Norton heads an amazing all-star cast in the critically acclaimed Spike Lee film 25th Hour. In 24 short hours Monty (Nort...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.