Review of 25th Hour (2002) by Ricardo O — 09 Sep 2010

Edward Norton, in arguably his best role, stars as Monty, a drug dealer who has been snitched on and now wants to peacefully take advantage of his final 24 hours as a freeman before turning himself into prison to serve his seven year sentence. During his final 24 hours he just wants to spend these hours with his two best friends, his father and his girlfriend. Monty settles all of his business and inevitably goes on to prison with his father driving him there.

Fantastic film that ranks up alongside Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X as Spike Lee's best films. The way he uses the very recent 9/11 event as an undertone of the way the main character feels about the state that the city is in is magnificent. The f*** you monologue was just as brilliant as the similar scene from Lee's earlier Do the Right Thing. The film takes its time throughout its run time but there isn't a moment wasted in the film. Spike Lee is one of the few great directors around that uses very straightforward narratives and styles yet he puts his trademark touches. The gliding dolly shot as Philip Seyour Hoffman walks out of the club bathroom was an awesome shot. Like Do the Right Thing, there is no real plot in the typical sense. It's just a day in the life of a man, this man just happens to be a drug dealer going to prison for his sins. It is a movie that certainly reflects the whole New York state of mind. One of the best films of the last 10 years. 10/10.