Review of 25th Hour (2002) by Manny C — 30 Dec 2010

Spike Lee directing a movie about Irish white guys? Believe it. And he creates a drama of startling power that is just riveting. Lee puts all his trust into the script by David Benioff, who adapts his own novel. Lee's directing prowess has never been more alert, and his actors match him wonderfully. Edward Norton is just dynamite as Monty Brogan, a Brooklyn drug dealer preparing for a seven year prison stint. He does this by hanging with his buddes, Francis (Barry Pepper, great) a Wall Street trader, and Jacob (the great Philip Seymour Hoffman) a teacher with a huge crush on his teen student (Anna Paquin). Monty also comforts his bar-owning dad James (Brian Cox) and struggles with the heartbreaking thought that his girl Naturelle (lovely Rosario Dawson) may have been the one who turned him in.

In the background lurks the after-effects of September 11, with Francis' apartment looking out at Ground Zero. Cinematographer extraordinaire Rodrigo Prieto captures artful tension with is camera. And Norton is just astonishing, especially in a scene where he stares into a bathroom mirror and launches into a tirade against the five boroughs. The script becomes in danger of holding too many ideas and flying off the rails, but in the end it stick with you.