The 25th Hour Reviews

Spike back in top form

Tremendous Spike Lee joint, the director is getting back to form. After the great Summer Of Sam, this Lee film is even better as the superb Norton plays a pusher about to start a stretch in prison, and saying his final farewells. Not knowing who betrayed him, suspicious of his girlfriend whom he suspects, his last night spent with her and his two very different friends makes his final night very tense. And Lee draws this tenseness out, so you could almost swallow it. Great backup performances too, especially from the consistant Seymour Hoffman and a very intelligent potrayal of the victimised girlfriend by Rosario Dawson. Get this out, you will be well rewarded.

Politics without passion

Spike Lee has turned out another ‘meaningful’ film, exploring his usual themes of racism and social responsibility. We are deep in post 9/11 reflection territory, and the shadow of the twin towers looms large, with the two beams of light shooting into sky under the opening credits, and Monty’s friend’s apartment looking out over Ground Zero and the crawling trucks clearing the wreckage. The film questions the morality of almost every stereotypical character, the arrogant stockbroker, the lecherous teacher, the gold-digging girlfriend who is Monty’s potential betrayer, but beyond the odd mention there is little to suggest that Monty himself is at fault, despite his dealing. After all, the first we see of him is rescuing a dog that’s been left for dead, so he must be a nice guy really. There are all Lee’s trademarks here, the racist rant to camera including shots of the relevant ethnic groups, the stagey lighting that never quite makes you believe it’s real life, and the almost underage women who seem to exist here purely for the male characters’ titillation. The film is beautifully shot and all the reflective surfaces and overly intrusive music to make sure we’re paying attention convey the impression that it is ‘important’. Lee is adept at conveying the tensions of multicultural New York, but he’s done it better before, and despite the powerful evocation of a wasted life and the terrible countdown to Monty’s entry to hell this just feels like something’s lacking.

Great!

Great acting from the superb Ed Norton as always. Quite slow moving film, but very cleverly draws you in and you suddenly find that you care about what happens to the main character, who you didnt even realise you were staring to give two hoots about.

Once its on, you'll just have to watch to the end.

Hard viewing, but worth it!

Easy to watch this film isn't, Brilliant it is. It has to be one of the most depressing films I've seen in a long time, you feel so sorry for Norton's character by the end it has you praying for a happy ending, but it never comes.

Directing is brilliant, acting is on form also, the tension build up in the film will have you transfixed to the tv throughout.

Its all together a very solid package and well worth a view.

Also a must to check out is the deleted scenes, there is a scene called SWAY, it is one of the coolest looking pieces I have seen this year, it oozes cool. I can understand why they deleted it because it doesn't fit with the feeling of the film, but damn its good

More great Spike!!!

Either you are a Spike Lee fan or not. If you are then you will love this! It is hard to say what genre it belongs to apart from being a 'New York' film. The film isn't fast and if you want action look elsewhere, but this film is an outstanding piece of cinema. The direction is great as is the cinematography, script and acting, notably Brian Cox. However everyone else gives the performances of their career!! It is also the first post 9/11 'New York' movie and i doubt their will be a better one. It has a strong and daring 9/11 subtext but hey it wouldn't be Spike without daring! The extras include two very good commentaries from the writer and spike and a documentary which tries to put spikes career in 20 minutes!!! If you are a Spike fan you will watch this over and over again. If you have not experienced Spike before then i would suggest start with 'do the right thing' and work your way through the films of his career up to this film.

Spike Lee's Best Film Yet ?

One of the first films to be shot in New York after Sept 11th 2001, Spike Lee's 'the 25th Hour' doesn't dwell on the tragedy that unfolded but concentrates on how no matter what your own personal problems are, others are suffering to. As the main character Monty Brogan, played by Edward Norton, re-assesses his life before starting a 7 year jail sentence and tries to come to terms with where it all went wrong. It also focuses on the problems of friends and close families. Philip Seymour Hoffman is living a Nabokov nightmare, infatuated with one of his students, Barry Pepper plays a self obsessed stockbroker who is fighting with his emotions over his best friend going to jail. Brogan's father, Brian Cox, his still grieving over the death of his wife.

The films strength is how it puts all the heartache and tragedy in focus and how each individual copes and hopefully triumphs over adversity. It also poses the question of morality and is Brogan, as a convicted drug dealer, any worse than his 2 friends, one lusting after under age girls and the other practicing sports sex and gambling with other peoples life savings on the markets.

Apart form one classic Spike Lee militant rant, this is Lee's most tender and thoughtful film yet. A study of one mans trials to make amends for his mistakes and how no matter what your problems, everyone else can be struggling with their emotions to.

Spike Lee at his best

25th Hour is a bitter sweet tale of a man set to go to prison for 7 years and covers the final day of his life as a free man. It has some stunning performances and some memorable scenes that I will certainly remember for some time. The story moves along at a good pace and has some signature spike lee moments which just add to the whole experience.

Although the film deals with very serious issues such as the aftermath of 9/11 it is full of humorous twists and amusing dialogue while never being distasteful.

A great piece of filmmaking.

Comedy ending

I gave this film a generous 4/7; solely based on the fact that this film and especially the ending are so ridiculous it actually fuelled a lot of jokes between me and my friends for a long time.

The cast is great, and the film is very watchable, up until the last half an hour or so that is.

Then it ends with a long comedy sketch. Brian Cox must've winced when reading this script. I have actually looked up the script for this film since watching it and the ending sounds even more ridiculous when you read it.

Avoid unless you want a good laugh at a shoddy script. It's pretty poor.

The 25th Hour

This film has 5 things going for it: Edward Norton. Barry Pepper, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. The acting in this film is sublime. Everything else... the script, direction, story... is passable at best. The acting is the only thing that held my attention until (almost) the end. Then it gets silly and pretentious. Seriously, this film has the worst ending since 'Unbreakable'.

I am not going to pretend I am Spike Lee's biggest fan, I feel he has got by on politics rather than talent (So I am in the minority) So the main reason I watched this film was for Edward Norton who is the best actor of this generation in my humble opinion. He doesn't disappoint, and it is surprising that Hoffman and Pepper weren't nominated for dozens of acting awards.

However, the story is so weak as to be ridiculous. I don't HATE this film, I can get up to the last few scenes without getting bored, most of it is intriguing and engrossing and has an incredibly memorable scene in a public toliet. So in short, watch this film for the acting (thinking it would have been better as a play) as the story is very thin and unrewarding. Don't say I didn't warn you about the end!

I am a huge fan of Ed Norton, this film confirmed that I still should be, Slick and well made. Great suspence and guessing all the way to the end. Gritty and emotional. Great film.