"25th Hour" doesn't have the recipe for a great movie, in the conventional sense. The characters are not particularly likeable, there is not much of a plot, no twists, no climax; yet it manages to be completely engaging from start to finish. The engrossing characters and abrasive energy make this a great one. It is among the best films to come out this season, which is saying a lot given that this is one of the best seasons for film that I can remember. This film blew me away.
Edward Norton, the best minimalist actor working, gives a brilliant performance as Monty Brogan. He is a New York City drug dealer who, when the film opens, has one day left of freedom. He has recently been busted by the DEA and believes that this was caused by the betrayal of someone close to him, maybe even his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson). Facing a seven year prison sentence, Monty has this day to figure out what to do with the rest of his life and reflect on his mistakes of the past.
He organizes one last night to say goodbye to his friends and family. His father, played by the great Brian Cox, seems to blame himself for Monty's condition. These scenes are quite touching. Monty's father seems willing to sacrifice anything in order to make up for, what he feels to be, his son's lost childhood.
His two childhood friends, Jakob and Frank (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper, respectively) seem to be the only ones he has left. Jakob is a lonely prep school teacher fixated on one of his students. As usual, Hoffman is great at playing pathetic characters at the end of their rope. He shows tremendous desperation and torment when interacting with her, conflicted between lust and ethics. Monty only makes the situation worse by inviting the student to tag along for the night. Frank is the polar opposite of Jakob, he is a cocky Wall Street trader who has an angle or a theory on almost anything. This is Pepper's best role yet. His transformation throughout the one evening, as he gradually let's his mask of arrogance slip, is astonishing.
What begins as a friendly outing gradually turns into self-examination for each character, while passing judgment on each other. They finally let their emotions take hold of them and find out what each other really thinks. On this one night, their relationships are forever changed, their friendship is put to the ultimate test. The following day there is hope. Each character seems to change their approach to how they live their life.
This is a very different film for Spike Lee-- who usually directs with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He has toned down this time. This is a mood film, a small story. It doesn't have high political aspirations or preach about racial divide, though there are bits about race. It is about the consequences of our choices and why we make them. Does Monty get what he deserves? Although I don't always agree with the way that drug dealers are punished in our society, I wanted him to pay his debt so that he could start fresh.
posted: January 24, 2003 at 05:54 PM
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