Review of 25th Hour (2002) by Ben K — 27 Feb 2010
10/10 - It's been a while since I have been so deeply affected by a film as I was tonight. There's something about films that take place in the space of a 24 hour time period that connect with me on an emotional level; maybe it's the aspect of how short 24 hours can be, yet so important. Usually in these movies, there is hope in the end, and the protagonist walks away, maybe on a hangover, into the bluish haze of the dawn to a new day, a better future. In Marty's (Edward Norton) case, when the sun rises, his life is over for seven years.
When you have one night to spend before you go to prison, how will you spend it? The film makes it clear through dialogue that Marty isn't exactly prison material, and he may be better off ending his life before it turns into a living hell. There is no grand, daring getaway where Marty defeats the system and drives off into the sunset, only dreams or the illusion of dreams and the quiet words of friends who are close to him. Seven years is a long time, longer than I care to imagine.
Spike Lee does his usual thing here: You know, the floating shots and whatnot. His style doesn't hinder the effectiveness of Marty's final hours though, rather, it helps accentuate the side story, that of New York post 9-11. In the film's most avant garde and profane scene, Marty's mind begins to rant and cuss out all who inhabit New York and what it stands for, from Puerto Ricans to Osama Bin Laden to Jesus Christ himself. His city is what he loves, and in that moment he has to tear it apart and burn it to the ground. His life is nearing its end for a while, just as New York is starting over.
The 25th hour is a great film.
This review of 25th Hour (2002) was written by Ben K on 27 Feb 2010.
25th Hour has generally received very positive reviews.
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