Rating: 
Summary: 3.5 Stars for 25th Hour
Review: Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) has just one day left before going to prison for dealing drugs. Monty isn't really a bad guy - he's just been "caught" and must now pay the ultimate price. We get to see Monty say his "goodbyes" before going to the big house. The main plot is a fun ride; even the subplots are up to par with the rest of the film.
Rating:
Summary: Not uplifting in the least
Review: A sad, somber, comtemplative film about wasted lives and the end of life as we know it, set against the backdrop of post 9/11 New York City. There isn't that much of a plot, because the ending has already been established - Monty Brogan (Norton) has been convicted of dealing dope and is going to prison for 7 years. Nothing will change that, not even discovering who ratted him out. He spends his last night of freedom with his two best buddies - Jakob, an ineffectual English teacher (Hoffman) who's struggling with desire for one of his students, and Frank (Pepper), a cocky bond trader who's a ticking timebomb. The film is right on the money in its exploration of powerlessness. A pair of soliloquys express the dual nature of this feeling - 1) Monty's foul-mouthed rant, while looking in a mirror, against pretty much everyone in New York and, ultimately, himself, and 2) Monty's father (Cox) daydreaming about how easy it would be for Monty to escape and begin a new life. Monty's chums, meanwhile, question their own roles in letting their friend go down the wrong path in life - and their own life paths aren't much wiser. The confusion and frustration never ceases, which is why the characters make conflicting statements, and yet they aren't being duplicitous. The characters aren't sure what to feel, what to do, or what to say to their convicted felon of a friend. 25th Hour is some of Spike Lee's best work - smoothly filmed, deliberately paced, seamless in it's transitions from past to present, and the bursts of anger, violence, and pure emotion in the film nearly leap off the screen. Good performances all around, particularly Norton's Monty - a good-spirited guy who's going down nonetheless - and Hoffman's pathetic Jakob. And Terrence Blanchard's score is as good as any I've heard in a film in years. How he didn't get any attention at Oscar time is beyond me. There is no redemption for the characters in this film, only some release of anxieties and a gripping, pervasive sense of loss. I was stunned at how sad this film made me feel.
Rating: 
Summary: What a movie!
Review: Shortly: 25th hour hit me. It is a beautiful, dark but same time hopeful drama. Terence Blanchard's music makes it even better. Though in the end of the movie there is a scene that makes me cry - even after seeing it five times the movie gives me sense of good feeling and surely a lots of thinking... I recommend this movie everybody but for any person who hear beats a beat of Manhattan - this movie is must.
Rating:
Summary: 25th Hour - An Urban Masterpiece
Review: There are very few Caucasian actors who, in my view, can pull of street cool on the screen: George Clooney, a young Steven Seagal and Paul Walker. But this Ed Norton is unique, and he chooses scripts that tell an important story. He is, in my view, one of the finest young actors to come along since Sidney Portier. He doesn't push it, but is laid back and lets the action come to him. Norton is having his last night out before heading to prison. His lovely lady (the seductive Rosario Dawson)loves him and so do his buddies. He wants to do the right thing, but like Al Pacino in "Godfather 3" they keep trying to "pull him back in." Although this movie is tight from beginning to end, it is the flashback at movie's end which endears you to the lead character. Norton knows how to use facial expressions to fill up entire scenes, and has the smarts to know when to pull back from a scene and let the environment do the talking. Great movies are difficult to describe because they transcend words. This movie, in being as unique as it is, falls within that category. Rent it and watch it. You might learn something about yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: They should have called it Amnesia
Review: Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is supposed to be a lovable drug dealer with whom we can sympathize. In a series of flashbacks, we find out how he adopted his dog; how he met his girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson); his long-standing friendships with Wall Streeter Frank (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman); oh, and by the way, how he got busted with mega-dealer quantities of smack and cash. But the story's foundation, it's reason for being, is the tale of Monty's last day of freedom before reporting to prison. Grappling with issues like: who gave him up to the DEA and stressing about meeting the Russian mob boss who's demanded to see him before he leaves for the can. The trouble is, despite Spike Lee's best efforts and the talented Mr. Norton, we just don't care. The story could have been compelling, but there are too many things that don't work. Barry Pepper is supposed to be Monty's best friend but is a completely hateful person. Philip Seymour Hoffman's considerable talents are put to no use here, playing a teacher that has all the charisma of a road sign. NFL'er Tony Siragusa (Kostya) is not a professional actor and is out of his depth. Rosaria Dawson is beautiful and talented -- but the story lets us not care about her whatsoever. The best thing about the flick -- and truly, the only things worth watching -- are two solliloquies: Norton's R-rated rant on New York while facing himself in the mirror... and his Father's beautiful, fictionalized account of now Monty could escape his fate. Those two vignettes, occupying maybe five minutes of screen time total, made the movie for me. In the end, it all just doesn't compute. I think they should have called this flick "Amnesia". You'll have forgotten the entire story by the next day.
Rating:
Summary: Hourly Rate
Review: On the one hand, 25th Hour, is a powerful drama that packs quite a punch. On the other, it can meander at times with no real focus. I know that analysis contradicts itself, but given the structure of the movie, it's the best I can do. The film chronicles the last twenty four hours that Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) gets to spend with his two best friends, Frank (Barry Pepper), a bonds trader, and Jakob (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a high school English teacher, and his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), before he goes to prison for seven years for pushing heroin. The group plans to party the night away in New York City one last time. During this time, Brogan discovers things about his friends, himself, and life's lessons, that he never knew. Controversial director Spike Lee, known for pushing the envelope at times, decided to make this film as a way dealing with the tragedy of September 11th 2001--albiet indirectly. Norton makes Brogan a sympathetic character and at times, the viewer really is not sure what to make of it at times...And therein lies the problem, the story has nowhere to go. After all, we know how it's going to end--so there is no surprises. That said, it still manages to resonote somehow. Director Spike Lee and screenwriter David Benioff, from his novel of the same name, offer separate audio commentary tracks about the film and its source material. Each track has a lot to digest. Both men make for interesting listening and it's clear they are very passionate about their work. The DVD also features a handful of deleted scenes, most of which, were wisely edited out of the film. "The Evolution of an American Filmmaker" featurette takes a brief look at the film's of Spike Lee and their impact on the landscape of cinema. Lastly, the director offers his "Ground Zero: A Tribute", which speaks for itself... 25th Hour is flawed for sure, but, it's still worth a look--therefore, recommended
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Joint So Far
Review: Other reviewers have done a fine job of describing the major plot points and the pros and cons of this film. I myself had some trouble with it for the first 15 minutes, it seemed to ramble, but I stayed with it because I admire Spike Lee's work. I was also mesmerized by Terence Blanchard's score. And it proved to be worth the hang. First consider that it was adapted from a pre-9/11 novel that is New York City to its core. Then consider that it's set in a post-9/11 New York City. Finally, consider that Benioff took his original story and adapted it to post-9/11 and then look beneath the surface of the story for the real story that is actually being told from this framework. (The song over the closing credits should make it clear to the viewer, if it wasn't already.) Benioff has written some sequences that made me hold my breath - the man is one of the best writers and slam poets out there. The cinematography is all New York, both gritty and gorgeous, light and more light, and the key characters are all well-defined. Edward Norton gives an underrated award-winning performance, and Brian Cox's supporting work was just as good. Then Spike Lee takes all of this, with his some very good editors, and makes this joint unforgettable. In 25 years, this movie will be regarded as a 9/11-era classic, and one of the finest memorials to a wounded and healing city that any movie director could make. And, yes, go back and look at the rambling beginning and some of the other slower-paced portions of the film on a second screening, as I did, and you, too, will probably understand that they are actually there for a very good reason. I love Spike Lee's Joints, and this is my favorite so far. Don't expect an escapist good time, this is a thinking film, but, if you're a movie buff like me, it will make you think and feel things about New York and 9/11 that you maybe didn't realize you thought or felt. Highly recommended. Thank you Spike!
Rating:
Summary: Norton gives another brilliant performance!
Review: Edward Norton is without a doubt the best actor of his generation. If you look at his pretty short filmography, you must say it's very impressive. It started with his magnificent debut in Primal Fear, where he outshines a great Richard Gere. Then, there were his great performances in The People vs. Larry Flynt, Rounders, Fight Club, The Score, Red Dragon, and ofcourse American History X, for which he should've won an Academy Award.
All movies rank amongst my all time favourites. 25th Hour is no exception.
Norton is dynamite as Brooklyn drug dealer Monty Brogan, a felon filling his last hours before going to prison for seven years. He visits his father and hangs with his friends for one last time.
I'm also a huge Spike Lee fan. I think he did a great job, and this might be his best film to date.
Go buy this DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Not great, but pretty likeable
Review: Spike Lee sensitively directs the tale of likeable Monty Brogan's last day as a free man. To be brief the film worked for me, even though some of the 9/11 stuff at times seemed to interlope on what was basically the story of one man's "rise and fall and rise again". That said, Norton was in fine form, as was Rosario Dawson. Not exactly new frontiers for Norton though. Blanchard's score though interesting lacked the thunder of earlier work with Lee while still seeming to be a bit over the top. A less upbeat ending might have made for a stronger film, but American audiences'propensity for the feel good factor would probably result in less appeal for the film at the box office. Pretty damn likeable, but not a great film. That would be "Summer of Sam" which seems to work on every level. But that's a another review......
Rating:
Summary: You actually feel something for the cast here.....
Review: In a way this movie has some humanity in it. A story of missed chances and one last attempt to find redemtion. You somehow know that the Edward Norton character is not going to win, so you want those secnes where he talks to his father to last a bit longer. The scenes where he is kissing his girlfriend (Rosiao Dawson) very passionaly to last longer, you just want him to be happy for as long as possible before the end comes and you know the end will be tragic, and it is.
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