#171. 25th Hour (2002)

DVD Synopsis: In 24 short hours Monty Brogan (Edward Norton, Primal Fear) goes to prison for seven long years. Once a king of Manhattan, Monty is about to say goodbye to the life he knew--a life that opened doors to New York's swankest clubs but also alienated him from the people closest to him. In his last day on the outside, Monty tries to reconnect with his father (Brian Cox, The Bourne Identity), and gets together with two old friends, Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Almost Famous) and Slaughtery (Barry Pepper, The Green Mile). And then there's his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson, Men In Black II), who might (or might not) have been the one who tipped off the cops. Monty's not sure of much these days, but with time running out, there are choices to be made as he struggles to redeem himself in the 25th Hour.






Nighttime in the City that never sleeps.

The spotlights at Ground Zero slice their way into the sky, marking the area that was once occupied by the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

This is post-9/11 New York. This is Spike Lee's 25th Hour. More to the point, this is a remarkable film by an extraordinary talent; a movie - and a director - attempting to define the emotions of a wounded city, and doing so brilliantly.

Drug dealer Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) has just one day of freedom remaining before he begins a seven year prison sentence. He will spend this last evening in the company of his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson) and his closest childhood friends, Wall Street broker Frank Slaughtery (Barry Pepper) and high-school English teacher Jacob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Before the night is out, many deep-rooted feelings will make their way to the surface, and all four companions will come face-to-face with a reality that could change their friendship forever.

25th Hour was the first major motion picture set in New York City following the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Was Spike Lee the right filmmaker to tackle such a project?

Hell yes.

Without a doubt.

Lee's cinematic resume is chock full of movies that pull no punches. Never a filmmaker to duck or weave when faced with a challenge, Lee's credentials speak for themselves: School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Summer of Sam. Throughout his career, Lee has generated his share of raw emotion, tension, and controversy. New York, battered and bullied, didn't need a flag-waving spectacular, or a vapid, feel-good extravaganza. This particular New York needed Spike Lee.

The horrific events of 9/11 are always present in 25th Hour, taking control of not just the setting, but the film's overall tone as well. When Jacob meets with Frank at the latter's apartment, which has a bird's-eye view of Ground Zero, we are quickly reminded of the time and place in which this story occurs. As the two sit in front of a window, through which we see the remains of the World Trade Center lit brightly below, they discuss the possible futures of their good friend, Monty. Frank tells Jacob that he believes this prison sentence marks the end of the Monty Brogan they know, that there's no coming back from the hell he's sure to encounter over these next seven years. The significance of this scene, in relation to the setting in which it occurs, is obvious. Like New York, Monty has been beaten down, and even his friends are counting him out.

Despite the film's desperate story, there are glimmers of hope that make their way through in 25th Hour. These characters, like the city they reside in, are moving towards a healing of their open wounds. It has been a bitter challenge, an emotional journey for all of them, and it isn't over yet. Not for Monty or Naturelle. Not for Jacob or Frank. Not for New York City.

But the healing has started. At least that's something.