![]() But any move in that direction would be wrong, and he knows it. There could be a separate movie about Jacob, a pudgy and phlegmatic high school English teacher who is fascinated by a tattoo on the bare midriff of one of his students, and by the girl Mary ( Anna Paquin) who wears it. The wonder of the rich screenplay is that it contains all of this material about Monty, and yet informs us so fully about the others. ![]() He does some final business and settles a last score. He goes to a nightclub with Jacob and Frank, and she joins them later. He makes love with Naturelle but later seems distant to her. He convinces Jacob to take care of the dog. From a morning walk with his dog to a long drive the next morning with his father, Monty makes one last trip around the bases. Spike Lee, working with David Benioff's adaptation of his own novel, paints a portrait of a life in 24 hours. He thinks he knows who he can still trust, but what does he really know, and what can he really do? He is a realist, even in these drifting final hours. This is another of Norton's exceptional performances. It was a mistake to think he could hide a lot of cash and cocaine, and a mistake to let anyone know where it was hidden. It was a mistake to stay in it as long as he did. It was a mistake to get into drug dealing when he had the chance. His father ( Brian Cox) bitterly blames himself for drinking his way into such debt that he took "loans" from his son. Jacob and Frank ( Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper) are very sympathetic, but after all they are still free to live their lives. ![]() Naturelle ( Rosario Dawson) is on hold supportive, loving, but feeling shut out. From the choices still open to him, he focuses now on the remaining important things: His woman, his father, his friends, and unsettled business. He has his ideas about how he got here and who may have been involved, but there is little he can do about that now. Everything is more focused, more meaningful, sometimes dreamy. There is a sense, in Spike Lee's "25th Hour" (2002), that he's experiencing his last day of freedom in a heightened state. Great film.Monty's mind is very concentrated. Even with those complaints, there is a lot to love here. Another complaint I had was that it seemed to meander a bit towards the end, and the curve ball they threw was somewhat unsatisfactory. Perhaps with time and revisits that will become more fleshed out in my mind. Whatever message her relationship with Hoffman's character was meant to convey, it was lost on me. While her performance was rock solid, her role seemed unnecessary. Some of the characterizations seemed pointless and out of place, like Paquin's character for example. I do have some complaints, but they are few and far between. I recommend seeing the film for its visual and auditory artistry alone. There is true technical prowess on display here. The cinematography by Lee and Diego Prieto (The Wolf of Wall Street, Argo, Babel, and many other beautiful films) is washed out, with high contrast, and looks damn near painted on a canvas. He's joined here by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson, Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and an exceptional Barry Pepper in what may just be his best performance to date.Ī few things to note here are the amazingly gorgeous visuals and the fantastic score by Terence Blanchard. Edward Norton leads a stellar cast in this gripping dramatic tour de force. This is truly a performance driven piece, and said performances are all top notch. He's highly respected among New York's seedy underbelly, and he has to come to grips with the decisions he's made and effects they are having on his friends and family. The film follows Monty (Norton) as he prepares to go to prison for a seven year sentence the following day. I actually preferred this film over the one I bought the double feature for most. 1 on Blu-ray out of a urge to revisit He Got Game during the 2014 NBA Finals, and a curiosity about this film that most people in the forums I visit were interested in, 25th Hour. ![]() I picked up the Spike Lee Collection Vol. My favorite films of his are Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Inside Man, and the documentary, 4 Little Girls. Spike Lee is one of those directors that many people love to hate, but his quality films cannot be denied. Rating: R (Strong Language|Some Violence)ĭolby A, Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital Brogan is a convicted drug dealer about to start a seven-year prison sentence, and his final hours of freedom are devoted to hanging out with his closest buddies (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper) and trying to prepare his girlfriend, Naturelle Riviera (Rosario Dawson), for his extended absence. In New York City in the days following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) steels himself for a lengthy jail term.
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