The 25th Hour
Directed by: Spike Lee
Written by: David Benioff
Starring: Ed Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox

The 25th Hour is easily one of the more bleak and depressing movies I have seen in my life, and yet, I enjoyed it a great deal. Although it does have moments of clever dark comedy, sometimes the sense of dread is so oppressive that it’s hard to stifle a smile at the jokes. This is a real tear jerker, and not in that Wedding Singer/English Patient kind of way.

Based on the novel and screenplay by David Benioff, The 25th Hour is about Monty Hall, a drug dealer who is caught by the DEA and sentenced to 7 years in prison. The movie details his last day of freedom, during which he reunites with his friends, settles unfinished business and reexamines his life. It may not sound all that exciting, and for a story about drug peddling and organized crime, there is very little action. The majority of the movie is dialogue, and it is appropriately slow-paced, as every moment of Monty’s last 24 hours of freedom is seemingly savoured. But a lot can happen in 24 hours, and as the movie explores Monty’s relationships with friends, family and associates, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered. Who ratted him out? Does he have any way out of his predicament? Can a pretty boy like him survive in prison? Does he really deserve his sentence?

While this may not seem like a typical Spike Lee movie, it does take place in New York City, and believe me, there are several scenes that leave no question about it being a Spike Lee joint. Only Spike Lee would have the balls to shoot an entire scene with two characters standing in front of an apartment window that overlooks Ground Zero. Only Spike Lee could have a character deliver a seething 5 minute rant that lashes out with anger at almost every single ethnic or religious group imaginable (and manage to get it by the censors). But as much as Lee should be applauded for his courage to do things that other filmmakers would shy away from, these statements occasionally seemed a little out of place. I suppose it added to the reality of the film, but it was a distraction seeing things like “Bin Laden: Wanted Dead or Alive” posters hanging in the background of a Wall Street office. Maybe it was distracting because you would never see such a thing in other movies, or maybe it’s distracting because it has nothing to do with the story. I’m not quite sure.

Occasional political diatribes aside, however, the movie really hinges on the performances of the actors, and the 25th Hour boasts an unquestionably solid cast. Ed Norton is known as one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood today, and The 25th Hour does little to discredit his reputation. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays one of Monty’s friends, a teacher who has a crush on one of his 17 year old students (Anna Paquin). That’s right, Hoffman playing another pedophile… poor guy, that’s all he seems to do lately. Of course, he happens to be good at those creepy roles. Anna Paquin emits the same innocent, alluring charm she did in Almost Famous. Barry Pepper was also very effective as another of Monty’s friends; he had a bit of the Christian Bale/American Psycho Wall Street egomaniac in him, but also deep emotions and loyalty running underneath the surface. Brian Cox is also thick skinned yet compassionate as Monty’s father. If there was a weak link in the cast, it might be Rosario Dawson who seemed somewhat unmoved throughout much of the movie despite being Monty’s girl.

The movie’s visual style compliments the acting, and adds a necessary grittyness through the use of occasional handheld shots and lots of colour contrast to emphasize Monty’s turmoil. The music, too, is intense and brooding and almost never lets up. The story is well written and the narrative structure keeps things fresh, as flashbacks are interspersed carefully to reveal the backstory, one piece at a time.

A lot could be said about the ending of the movie, but I won’t delve into it for fear of giving away too much. It leaves much to your imagination, and while some may find this frustrating, I think it’s probably about the closest we could possibly come to a satisfying conclusion.

There’s no question that this movie will leave an impression on you, however, it is not necessarily the uplifting experience that many people expect from an night out at the movies. Allow me to reference Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream, or Larry Clark’s Kids, both films that were extremely well crafted, but not necessarily something I would want to watch many times over again. Though the 25th Hour is not quite as disturbing as these, it does deliver its share of uneasy moments. Surely Spike Lee has created something very powerful here and worthy of his legacy, and whether you’re a Spike Lee fan or not, I’m sure you’ll appreciate his mastery of the art. — Sean