Rating: 
Summary: Underrated and very well done
Review: Spike Lee's films have always been very hit or miss for me, I loved "Do the Right Thing" and "He Got Game", but found "Summer of Sam" absolutely abysmal. This film finds him departing from the typical "big" issues that he normally confronts in his films and centering more closely on the problems and struggles of mostly one person. 25th Hour was a return to form for Lee in my eyes because he resists the urge to go over the top with the material, which is often a flaw in his other films. Instead, he presents us with much more personal issues in 25th Hour, issues of missed opportunity, regret, and the way each choice we make or don't make in life can lead to vastly different outcomes. The result is a surprisingly touching and sympathetic view of the mistakes of one life.
Set against the backdrop of post 9/11 New York City, 25th Hour follows Monty Brogan on the last day before he is to be incarcerated for drug possession. The inclusion of post 9/11 images did not seem forced or out of place to me, but instead aided the film in its presentation of themes of regret, melancholy and longing for the past.
The ensemble cast do a great job showing the ways, both large and small, directly and indirectly, that they are affected by the events in Monty's life, and how we are all in some way or another interconnected, whether we realize it or not.
25th Hour also features a very noticeable and moody musical score which really conveys the themes and feelings that are presented throughout.
In the end, we are offered a hopeful glimpse at what Monty's life could have been like, underscoring the effect that even our smallest decisions can have. This was a crucial moment in the film for me, where the urge to present a sugar coated, Hollywood ending must have been strong. Nevertheless, without giving anything away, I think you will find the film passes this final test of good storytelling with flying colors.
Rating: 
Summary: 25 Hours Too Long
Review: I wouldn't walk my dog around on my last day of freedom. I wouldn't talk to my friends about random stuff on my last day of freedom. I wouldn't bad mouth the many different kinds of life on my last day of freedom. This movie was horrible! "25th Hour" is about a man named Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) who does all of those dreadfully boring things on his last day before he goes to prison for seven years. What a hoorah! Partying has never been so boring. Terrible movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging but uneven character study
Review: Like many of Spike Lee's films, 25th Hour is at times powerful and original and in parts overstated and pretentious. Edward Norton gives a fine performance as Monty, a drug dealer planning to serve a seven year sentence. This is primarily a character-driven tale; we are taken through Monty's last day as a free man and his attempt to discover who betrayed him (the cops who arrested him knew exactly where his drugs and money were hidden). Monty is suspicious of his girlfriend (played by Rosario Dawson) and not sure who among his friends he can trust. Some of the dialogue in 25th Hour, including the opening scene in which Monty rescues an injured dog, could have been lifted straight from a Quentin Tarantino film. Another problem is the way the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center is exploited as a backdrop. This has nothing to do with the story, but seems to have been used as a device to give the movie more emotional punch. There is, for example, a scene in which two of Monty's friends (played by Barry Pepper and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who are also excellent) look down from a high rise apartment at an eerie nighttime scene of the Trade Center site. This image has an undeniable power, but, again, has no direct relevance. There is also a wholly gratuitous and silly scene where Monty, facing a mirror, gives a long angry monologue, expressing rage against the various ethnic groups that comprise New York City. This is very similar to a scene in Spike Lee's earlier (and probably best) film, Do The Right Thing. Lee obviously loves and is fascinated with New York City and its ethnic issues, but he should resist the temptation to throw in irrelevant and overwrought material like this. The movie is 135 minutes, and would have been improved by cutting at least fifteen of those minutes. That said, 25th Hour works very well on some levels. Monty's character is perfectly drawn; he is neither the kind of swaggering gangster cliche found in many crime dramas nor a victim of circumstances meant to illicit our pity. He is sympathetic, but also clearly responsible for his own predicament. The relationship he has with his two best friends, one a cocky stockbroker (Pepper), the other a nerdy teacher (Hoffman) with a crush on one of his students is interesting and complex. The film also maintains a compelling tone and we are kept wondering until the very end what Monty's fate will be. 25th Hour showcases both Lee's considerable talents and foibles as a director.
Rating:
Summary: Great Concept, Weak Execution (3.5 stars)
Review: "25th Hour" is a decent movie but could've been so much more. After hearing all the rave reviews and finding that a lot of great actors appeared in this film, I had some high hopes. That could've been the problem from the start. I was expecting a great movie. Well, it's a good movie, but nowhere near great. There are even times where I find that the movie has more cons than pros.Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the movie. I didn't dislike it. I thought it was a decent movie, but it had the chance to be much more than it was. The basic storyline behind "25th Hour" centers around a man named Monty. After being busted by the Feds, Monty has 24 hours to live his life before he goes away to prison. In that time, Monty spends time with his friends, tries to patch things up with his father, and tries to find out if his girlfriend was the one who ratted him out to the Feds. The only thing that is certain is the fact that Monty is having a hard time saying goodbye, and does not know if he'll settle for prison. Now, that all sounds like a great idea and a great concept for a movie. However, it's the EXECUTION of it all that gives the film flaws. When I was watching this movie it felt like I was watching two, three, or even four films all at once. Some of the scenes drag on longer than they really need to, most of the conversations that take place aren't very interesting and even get away from the story, and I get the impression that the movie didn't know how it was going to end. And I felt that the film had no idea on where it was going and what kind of message it was trying to establish. The film is in no way a failure. Not at all. The performances are great. Edward Norton does a great job in the movie, although it is nothing we haven't seen in the past. And there are other players in the film you will also recognize as well. All pretty good for the most part. And the movie has some interesting moments as well. It just would've been nicer to have more of them. The DVD has some neat extra features. The picture and sound quality is really good, although the picture looks a bit gritty at times (on purpose, of course). Some of the extras included are commentaries, a tribute to Ground Zero, and a featurette on Spike Lee. "25th Hour" is a good movie; good, but not great. I don't know if it deserves all the critical praise it's been getting, but that's not for me to decide. This is my first Spike Lee film, but I'm willing to bet that he has better films than this one. I liked the movie, but not as much as I like most. It's nothing I could see myself watching over and over again, but I'm sure it's something I'd watch every now and then. If you want to check out "25th Hour," I strongly suggest that you rent it first before purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful Story Undermined by Overwrought Style
Review: Montgomery "Monty" Brogan (Edward Norton) has just 24 hours to live as a free man before he will be incarcerated for 7 years for selling illicit drugs. He spends his last free day with his friends and family, examining his past and the reasons that he took the path that he did, trying not to think too deeply about his impending fate. Monty's two best friends from high school, Frank (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman), whose lives took different paths, spend their time talking about what they think of Monty and of each other. The day culminates in a going away party which everyone attends. In the morning, Monty can no longer put off thinking about the abrupt end his life is going to suffer and what he must do to cope with this fact. "25th Hour" is based on a book by David Benioff, who also wrote the film's screenplay. The film was directed by Spike Lee. The story and characters are interesting. The cast is top-notch. The performances are good. But the directing style, instead of elucidating these things, gets in the way of the story and the character development. Blue filters and bizarre lighting might be ok if they weren't so overdone. Spike Lee's habit of showing multiple shots of the same image is just plain grating. The film's score isn't so much bad as it is deliberately in-your-face, which makes it seem bad. And there is a lot of irrelevant material in the film. "25th Hour" suffers from a serious case of technique over substance. And that is a disaster if you are making a character study. In this case, there is actually some substance there. It is just buried beneath a heavy-handed and inappropriate directing style. Some fine actors give admirable performances in "25th Hour". Edward Norton does a good job, but his fans won't be missing anything if they skip this one. Monty closely resembles characters that Norton played in "Fight Club" and "American History X", which are better movies. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a great talent. I used to look forward to seeing him in anything. But he needs to get away from these lumpy socially inept characters. He's becoming a cliche. Barry Pepper is especially good as Frank, an obnoxious Wall Street shark who cares more about his friend than he would like to admit. Former Baltimore Raven Tony Siragusa is thoroughly convincing in a small role as a Russian mobster. I give "25th Hour" a marginal recommendation because there is some interesting and thought-provoking material in it, if you can get past its self-conscious artiness. When Spike Lee renounces self-indulgence in favor of competent craftsmanship, he might be able to make a good movie.
Rating:
Summary: A very high four stars
Review: 25th hour is a fantastic meld of a fictional but realistic story set amidst a background of factual events. Following drug dealer Montgomery Brogan (Edward Norton) on his last day before starting a seven-year prison term, the film takes place in New York during the aftermath of 9-11, a place and time where it was constantly on the thoughts of every person there. Though some have criticized the inclusion of 9-11 as not having anything to do with the plot, I strongly disagree. In other films released in 2002, (such as Spiderman), the filmmakers have tried to put in something patriotic to pay homage to the event, but in doing so created a scene that seemed out of place with the film, but in 25th Hour, the aftermath of the events of 9-11, and they way people are paying for something that?s already done serves as an analogy to Montgomery dealing with his past crimes, and how he now has to pay for what he's done. The cast here is fantastic. Edward Norton is his usual brilliant self, with Brian Cox, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin, Rosario Dawson and Berry Pepper filling out supporting roles of people close to Montgomery. There's a fantastic chemistry here that helps to propel the story forward without feeling like the characters are forcing it along. The music is another great accompaniment, telling of the sadness of the characters and city at this time without being too forceful of a presence. Nothing is overdone here, but wonderfully realistic and absorbing. 25th Hour gets a high recommendation from me. Director Spike Lee turned out a powerful story that simultaneously deals with the sorrow of a city and the troubles of a small group of friends.
Rating:
Summary: "Last Temptation of a Utilitarian Christ"
Review: Warning! I give away some of the plot in this review so skip it if you haven't seen the film yet. As my title says, I saw this rather heavy handed but finely acted film about a drug dealers last day of freedom as a sort of re-make of "Last Temptation of Christ". Only rather than Monty, like Christ, being the supreme sacrifice, he's rather the utilitarian zero-sacrifice. He is the guy who got caught. He's not paying for his crimes as much as he is for getting caught doing them. His Judas is the big thug "friend" who turns him in rather than giving up his own tawdry comforts. Every charactor is corrupted by the Utilitarian lust for pretiege or power or money--but mostly money, whether it's his Wall Street Broker friend ripping off the public, or his girlfriend, taking his money and presents, or his teacher friend driven to flee excess only to seek it in one of his students; or his father who seeks the excess of booze and graft (?) rather than raise his son properly. On occasion the mostly supressed moral/ethical senseabilities of the City must be addressed through the sacrafice of one of it's own and Monty is that sacrifice. In the end he imagines--or has it imagined for him--a life of a better sort. But this viewer wasn't moved at all by the alternitive. It was as if Monty's dad no longer had the energy or an adequate imagination to envoke the scenerio of a better life. So instead of heading west to freedom, monty continuse north to perdition, a "zero" (as Monty's friend refers to him); not to return again, like Christ, but to disapear amongst the ugly--those who constitute Utility's untouchables. Lee is heavy handed in his delivary and it seems like in a lot of his films that his agenda doesn't always jibe with the story. But in this case, heavy handed or not, the 9/11 imagery works as it's the West's lust for fame/comfort/money , etc, that Bin Laden hypicriticly attacked in his destroying the Twin Towers. This raises the question whether Lee was mourning the events of 9/11 or hinting at the cost of the West's lust for wealth at the sacrifice of morals. I think he was truely mourning but perhaps unconsciously or semi-consciously hinting at the later.
Rating:
Summary: My thoughts
Review: ... While reading through the postings about Spike Lee's '25th Hour', though, I was surprised at the number of one and two star ratings. While '25th Hour' definitely has flaws, it doesn't, at least to me, appear to be as atrocious as some say.
...Many believe that the 9/11 scenes have no relevance to the film. While I can respect these opinions, I think I disagree. To me, the whole movie seems to be about the mending of wounds- both physical and mental. The characters must heal from these life long wounds, much like the country healed from that day in September. Many also believe that the mirror scene contains no relevance to the story either. I certainly wasn't the only one that heard many of these same remarks about foreigners shortly after 9/11. The amount of rage at the time was shocking. Many people whom I respect and are genuinely nice people conveyed these hateful feelings. These, too, took time to mend. The scene also reflects the need to blame others. In this scene, Edward Norton's character realizes the fault lies with him.
Anyways, the film certainly has its flaws, but I think the good aspects far outweigh the bad ones. I hope I didn't come off too preachy, but I just wanted to chip in with my two cents worth.... I guess people's tastes vary, but at least it is just a movie. Thanks.
Rating: 
Summary: Squeezing sentiment out of a jaded man
Review: After reading many of the reviews and sharing a wary feeling about Spike Lee's frequent sledgehammer approach to subject matter I was genuinely touched by 25th Hour. The acting is superb with Norton and cast running with the script and to his credit Spike Lee helping to get these three dimensional performances. All the ballyhoo over 9.11 and it's unnecessary backdrop misses the point. Those that think it detracts from 25th Hour say there is no point to adding the footage but as a counterpoint to several segments of the film the idea works without getting too heavy handed. There are a few moments of United States nationalism which may not play well to some but it's heartfelt, not manipulative. The other critiques about Edward Norton being run through similar situations from Fight Club and American History X ring hollow. The narrative for one of the comparisons is very similar to the book, that Norton did a similar monolog as a different character in another film is blaming the film for how the adaptation of the book was made. Perhaps a fair critisim but within this story in this film the critisim speaks more of some viewer's dislike for the director. In this case blame it on the author/screenwriter if you must. The motivations are different and what the audience gets from the scene has no similarity. In the scene compared to Fight Club, again, there are different motivations and meanings. The comparison isn't valid. As a fairly jaded urban dweller 25th hour, a film that doesn't have much of a linear story, is still gripping with it's portraits of people who make decisions and the effects they have upon themselves and others. As a character study 25th Hour is a success. The closing scene is both heartbreaking and reflective. It is a nice coda to the film's story and a excellent ending as well.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of time!
Review: I am not a big fan of Spike Lee's, but as soon as I first saw a preview for The 25th Hour, I knew I wanted to see this movie. I do like Ed Norton and he is the main reason for me wanting to check this flick out. What a huge mess. My wife and I kept watching it thinking something great or interesting was about to happen only to be slapped with more boring, uninteresting scenes. This could have been a great movie about a drug dealer who gets caught and has to find out who set him up. Instead we get a rambling bore of a movie where the main character's big idea to make it through prison is to have his friend "make him ugly" by beating him in the face...Stay away for your own good, I've lost 2 hours of my life I'll never get back again!
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