AUFS Reviews: 25th Hour
Directed by Spike Lee
Stars Edward Norton, Rosario Dawson, Barry Pepper & Phillip
Seymour Hoffman
Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) has built a profitable career out of the drug trade; he began dealing drugs in to his wealthy High School friends, and has coasted comfortably into his thirties. However, all good things come to an end, and Monty has been caught out. The film charts his final day (hence the title) before starting his lengthy prison sentence as he sets things right with his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson), friends (Barry Pepper, Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and father (Brian Cox).
25th Hour is Spike Lee’s best and most entertaining film yet. By focussing on telling a good story well, I’d argue that the film says more meaningful things about race and culture — subtly and subtextually — than more overt racial polemics like Do the Right Thing (1989) or Malcolm X (1992). The strength of the film lies not only in Lee’s script (co-scripted with David Benioff, from Benioff’s novel) and direction, but on the supremely gifted cast. All of the actors seamlessly inhabit their characters — Norton, in particular, gives one of his best performances yet (with some echoes of his character in Fight Club — you’ll see what I mean).
The film briefly courted notoriety before its release because of its overt references to September 11 — one scene even takes place in front of a window in an apartment with the clean-up of the World Trade Centre site taking place in the background. However, to Lee’s credit, the Sept. 11 motif isn’t gimmicky, but is in fact quite well-integrated. While it arguably doesn’t have any thematic bearing, the realistic presentation of the effects of Sept. 11 on New Yorkers gives the film even more integrity and authenticity.
And, in the end, it’s integrity and authenticity that makes 25th Hour work so well. Although it briefly strays into Scorsese territory with some dealings with brutal Russian mobsters, overall, the film is about real people — their fears, bonds and hopes, set within the context of a city which has a character of its own. Spike Lee is to New York what Mike Leigh is to London.
And I’ll be surprised if any scene in any other film this year packs as much emotional punch as 25th Hour’s coda.
Brenton Priestley
