Rating: 
Summary: Most Overlooked movie of 2002
Review: 25th Hour is a true poem about America and New York after the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001. It's not gung-ho, as the country was in attacking Afghanistan and Iraq. And it's not very mourning, either. It's almost this centuries equivalent of the city symphonies of the tens and twenties.
But all that 9/11 stuff tends to bog me down in political and sociological discussions that I have come to abhor. Throw all of that aside, and this is a great movie. Every performance, minus that of the wasted Rosario Dawson, is incredible. Brian Cox cemented himself in my mind as one of the finest actors in the world.
Spike Lee is up to his usual camera tricks, and its great when you recognize them--I broke onto Spike (not TV) Lee about three years ago, after hating him for the first decade and a half of my life. On a side note, you should check out bamboozled, another fabulous societal movie, which recieved about the same welcome as this film.
The score is awesome, the camera phenomenal.
The top movie with "City of God" for this year.
It's also a hoot to watch the film with director commentary...Spike Lee and his inimitable self... "the great rodrigo lopez", "the excellent so-and-so", etc. you get the point.
Rating: 
Summary: The Power Of Ed
Review: A few self-indulgent exercises in hollywood aside ("Red Dragon", "The People Vs. Larry Flynt"), it seems as though Edward Norton continues going on from strength to strength. Easily the best actor of his generation--certainly the most versatile--he's picking some great parts, and this film is no exception.The film stands out in the way of sheer craftsmanship even without the 9/11 symbolism; by now, Spike Lee knows how to work his style to the fullest, and even if this is a low-key, non-political film (by his standards), it's still powerful. The editing and acting are second to none, with honourable mentions going out to Norton, Barry Pepper, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and a special mention for Brian Cox, who's always great. It also helps that the writer, David Benioff, has worked wonders with the script--it would take a Ben Affleck or a Chris O'Donnell to screw up this particular screenplay.
Rating: 
Summary: I was disappointed.....
Review: I gave 2 stars only because Edward Norton does his job, but I was disappointed at many of the words that could have gone unsaid, I hated the part where he ripped apart all of the different races, down to the Catholic church, and Jesus Christ, it was not called for. I was so turned off after that, that I didn't even finish watching it. It's too bad that Spike Lee would put out such garbage, I was one that believed that he had class....I was wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: Horribly boring
Review: From the onset, the question looms over this movie of why he would be given a day of freedom before he begins a jail sentence. Why wouldn't he just bolt and set up shop in another city? This question is never answered, however. Instead we are shown the last day of freedom for a drug dealer before he has to report to jail. So, he walks his dog, tries to piece together who turned him in, and he rants and philosophizes with those around him. The destruction of 9/11 seems to be a theme, albeit a disjointed one, and I think I'm supposed to sympatize with Monty by the end of the movie as he heads off to the big house. However, I didn't sympathize or feel much for any of the characters. They forgot a few things -- a plot, for one. Edward Norton's talent can't save a bad script, unfortunately. The attempts to add interest by repeating the scene with a half a second delay every once and a while doesn't work and is annoying. Through the entire movie, there's a sense that they're trying to recreate the "Royal with Cheese" moment from Pulp Fiction, but it never materializes. The most interesting question this film asks is: what is to become of the dog when he is in jail? However, if you have trouble sleeping, this movie might be a good alternative to valium.
Rating:
Summary: The Full Monty
Review: Poignant, realistic and highly dramatic, 25th Hour ranks with the best films ever shot in Manhattan. Successfully exploiting the opportunity to direct NYC's first film post 9/11, Spike Lee brings his heavy-handed style to the fore, complimenting stellar performances by Norton, Pepper, Hoffman and Cox. Everything works. The fact that Lee delivers such compelling drama with so little plot is a testament to the director's prowess and the actors' talents. The final "25th Hour" sequence is breathtaking. 25th Hour is compelling and cathartic. Spike nailed this one.
Rating:
Summary: feelings..
Review: this movie created some very controversial feelings in me.. overall the film was a bit too dramatic for my liking, the rather cheerless feeling within the characters combined with the dramatic happenings made the movie extremely grave. however, the surprising ending that the viewer suddenly faces after the feelings and emotion prior to the moment creates an amazing contrast which can only be describes as beautiful film making. I would watch it again just for the ending, pure genius.
Rating:
Summary: New York to the bone
Review: Lots has been said about this movie. I'm not going to repeat others.....what struck me is how Spike's knowledge of New York and New Yorkers comes through in this production. Ed Norton is perfectly cast as Monty. The story is compelling, yet this is not a feel good movie. The ending will have you thinking hours or days after you have seen it. And that is the sign of a good movie.
Rating:
Summary: 25th Hour: Good Characters.......Bad Editing
Review: Being of huge fan of Spike Lee's, "Do The Right Thing" I picked up this movie the other day b/c it was a movie I wanted to see, but never took the time to go see it in the theater. My friends saw it and had mixed feelings, but I wanted to judge it for myself. And I got what I expected. Well, mostly. The characters in the story are the best part of the movie, as each actor/actress handles their roles with true abandon. But Barry Pepper definately overshadows any of the other actor's performance. This guy is great and where I was disappointed with "Knock-Around Guys" (mainly because of pace), this movie finally depicted the true talents and lead-quality that Barry Pepper has had all along. Philip Seymour Hoffman was great as well, although I felt that Spike Lee forgot to continue on with his development about two-thirds into the movie. And Edward Norton always delivers. Always. Even with that out-of-place monologue that took me by suprise (This is the segue into all my criticisms). I just got the impression that Spike Lee was trying too hard. It was a nifty idea, but the timing seemed off. The actors carried themselves, but it was the editing of this movie that brought it down. In the beginning, there is an unbelievable amount of discontinuity. I could see how there could be a point to doing this, as to express the discontinuity of New York after 9/11....but if this was the case...it was poorly executed. The beginning is discontinuous...the middle of the movie is normal...and the end of the movie starts with the discontinuity again....it's baffling! And I dont think that by doing this, any meaning was expressed except "bad editing". At least that's what I first thought. I swear I was having deja vu about 20 times in the movie. Despite all this and some bad overdubbing (the apartment scene, Edward Norton's voice is off with his mouth when he tells the cop to sit down)...this movie was overall enjoyable. But I suggest you watch another Spike Lee movie before renting this...to get a flavor of his style and modes of expression. But if you are an Edward Norton, Barry Pepper, or Philip Seymour Hoffman fan, I think it's safe to recommend this to you.
Rating:
Summary: NYC Ghosts & Flowers
Review: This is a tremendous movie. It was made by men and women and actors who deeply felt a bond with the weight of the emotions in the script, and Spike Lee's setting of the narrative in deeply shaken post-9/11 New York only adds to the sense of "gravitas." Seeing this film in the cinema was an engrossing experience. Edward Norton's sense of self-rage - and, inevitably, self-pity and sorrow - are palpable in every scene; his character's early diatribe against everyone and everything in Manhattan is one of the film's most poignant moments. In a movie about the repercussions and results of what one does or does not do over the course of one's life, each of the characters appears to be flailing and falling, desperate. I am not a New Yorker, so I cannot speak as one. But I was there in the city shortly after that horrible day in 2001, when I lost a family member in the collapse. New York was a city of funerals for days and weeks to come. The night I write this, I watched - completely by chance - two movies that now serve as prologue and epilogue to that famous structure. The Robert Redford heist caper, THE HOT ROCK (1972), features a helicopter scene where the heroes fly by a still-under-construction World Trade Center. Now, there's 25th HOUR (2003), that shows, for all time, the ruins and scars of what once had been. Obviously, this is not a movie review, but a personal remembrance. But I will say that actors Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox are all excellent, with special mention going to the incredible Barry Pepper in a superb supporting performance. It's not a popcorn picture by any means, but it's one that I'm proud to have in my collection.
Rating:
Summary: A fine peice of cinema.
Review: "The 25th Hour" has all the elements of an excellent film, and it doesn't let them go to waste. It deals with a simple yet difficult question that not many of us are ever faced with; how would you spend your last 24 hours of freedom? This is a question that Monty Brogan is unlucky enough to be faced with. The story follows Monty on his last day of freedom, as he says his last good byes to his father, his best friends, his business associates, and his girlfriend. After being busted for dealing heroine, Monty is sentenced to 7 long, painful years in prison. He spends his last day with the people who mean the most to him. He meets his 2 best friends, Jacob and Frank (portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper), and his girlfriend Naturelle (portrayed by Rosario Dawson), at a night club in NYC, where he is also supposed to meet his boss for one last time. As many reviewers have pointed out, the film is set in a post 9/11 New York City. This part of the film worried me at first because I was afraid that it would take center stage over the story, but the 9/11 aspect isn't overly prominent in the plot and doesn't interfere with the other parts of the movie. I thought that director Spike Lee did a good jod of giving the attention to this subject that it deserved (particularly in the scene in Franks apartment that overlooks ground zero), but without allowing it to over shadow the story. This film features excellent performances from all cast members, especially Norton. His portrayal of Monty is absolutely stunning. Norton portrays the character as a man who is being sent to his own personal hell within just a few hours. You can see Monty's guilt about what he's done, but you can also see his anger towards the circumstances that lead him to his decisions. This is shown most clearly in the "F**k You" monologue in the bathroom of his father's bar, where Monty proceeds to attack anyone and everyone who he feels are in some way responsible for the situation he is in, but in the end, he blames himself. Philip Seymour Hoffman also gives a stellar performance as Monty's friend Jacob. Jacob is a high school English teacher who has an interest in one of his students (Anna Paquin) that is slightly more than educational. Hoffman does a wonderful job at showing Jacob's inner conflict. On one hand, Jacob has this attraction to his student, while on the other he has his career and his reputation for being relatively straight laced. Rosario Dawson also turns in a great performance as Monty's girlfriend Naturelle. She feels guilty about never making Monty give up his criminal life, but she also feels that it was his life and he had to make his own choices. Frank feels much the same way about this. He feels that he should've done something to stop Monty and deals with the same guilt that Naturelle has, all though he also feels more hostility towards Monty than any other character, shown in the scene in his apartment where he tells Jacob that Monty got what he deserved. It doesn't seem like any other character in the movie thinks that Monty has really even done anything wrong. Illegal, yes, but not neccessarily wrong. Monty provided a service to people who wanted it, and as Frank says, he might have made a profit off the potential suffering of others, but no more than a clerk at a convenience store profits off cigarette sales that give people cancer. I thought that the film did an excellent job at showing this without glorifying drug dealing. The direction from Lee is also remarkable. The camera work is good, especially considering that he worked with a different director of photography on this film than he normally does (I think). He seems to understand Monty's inner conflict and shows it very well. The editing is also very good in this film. Some may say that it's too long, but I didn't really think so, all though I do prefer longer movies anyway. All things considered, this is a very interesting movie. It deals with choice in a different way than any other movie I've seen. It shows the perks of the choices that Monty makes, but ultimately shows the consequences. I highly reccomend it.
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