Themes: Faltering Friendships, Drug Trade, Fathers and Sons
Main Cast: Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox
Release Year: 2002
Country: US
Run Time: 134 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A man has one day to put his life in order before a long stretch in prison in this drama directed by Spike Lee. Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is a man who came from a working class family in New York. Monty's best friends Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Slaughtery (Barry Pepper) went on to distinguished careers as, respectively, a high school teacher and a bonds trader, but Monty took a different path and began dealing drugs. While Monty's trade has made him plenty of money, it hasn't brought him much respect from his family and friends, and while Jacob and Slaughtery have stayed in touch, Monty's lifestyle has led them to keep their distance. One night, Monty is relaxing at home with his girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson) when the police show up; Monty is arrested, and after a trial he's sentenced to seven years in prison. On his last day of freedom before he goes to jail, Monty tries to make amends with his father (Brian Cox) and goes out on the town with Jacob and Slaughtery. With both of his friends facing emotional crises of their own, Monty finds himself wondering where his life took a wrong turn and if there's any way left to redeem himself. Along the way, Monty begins to suspect that Naturelle may have turned him in, and he has to deal with Kostya Novotny (Tony Siragusa), an ill-tempered drug supplier who has unfinished business with him. 25th Hour was scripted by David Benioff, who adapted the story from his novel of the same name. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
It's no surprise that a consummate New York filmmaker -- especially one who wears his heart on his sleeve -- should direct the first mainstream film that wrestles openly with the aftermath of September 11th. Less expected was that Spike Lee would so cleverly absorb those themes into the subtext of an unrelated story about a pinched drug dealer, Monty Brogan (Edward Norton), indulging his final freedoms before going up the river. Granted, Lee's trademark sledgehammer approach does have its moments in The 25th Hour, such as when Monty's rage erupts in the form of a diatribe against New York's spectrum of ethnic and socioeconomic archetypes, an echo of Do the Right Thing. However, the fact that this aggressive defamation of the city's populace doubles as an ode to its diversity gets at the contradictory nature of post-traumatic New York -- it's more wary and distrustful than ever, yet eager to rebound toward glory. Norton's Monty Brogan serves as a stand-in for the American people, his complacency destroyed by a rude awakening, then quickly replaced by fears of a murky future. Norton leads a dynamite ensemble that includes typically strong performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin, Rosario Dawson, and Brian Cox, as well as a career-best showing from Barry Pepper as Monty's best friend, a hotshot broker bound to the condemned man for one last favor. As always, Lee's provocative dolly shots, long takes, and collage-like edits make his camera a vital addition to the cast, able to frame this loss of innocence in all of the city's familiar corners. And in the film's memorable coda, Lee does find that magic hour, the home of something he and other shell-shocked Americans desperately need: illogical hope. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Tony Siragusa - Kostya Novotny; Michael Levanios Jr. - Uncle Nikolai; Misha Kuznetsov - Senka Valghobek; Isiah Whitlock, Jr. - Agent Flood; Michael Genet - Agent Cunningham
Credit
Nicholas Lundy - Art Director, Jeff Sommerville - Associate Producer, Aisha Coley - Casting, Sandra Hernandez - Costume Designer, Mike Ellis - First Assistant Director, Spike Lee - Director, Barry Alexander Brown - Editor, Nick Wechsler - Executive Producer, Terence Blanchard - Composer (Music Score), James Chinlund - Production Designer, Rodrigo Prieto - Cinematographer, Julia Chasman - Producer, Spike Lee - Producer, Jon Kilik - Producer, Tobey Maguire - Producer, Edward Norton - Producer, Ondine Karady - Set Designer, Rolf Pardula - Sound/Sound Designer, David Benioff - Screenwriter, Ellen Kuras - Additional Cinematography, David Benioff - Book Author
The film begins with Monty Brogan and his friend Kostya (Tony Siragusa) saving a dog that he found abandoned in the street. As he drives away, the opening credits roll over shots of the Tribute in Light at the World Trade Center site. The film then cuts to the present (approximately four years have passed) and Brogan is walking the streets of New York with Doyle (the dog he saved). He goes to his old school, where he meets up with his best friend, English teacher Jacob Elinsky (Hoffman), and discusses a get-together at a local club planned later that evening. Elinksy then calls their mutual best friend, Wall Street trader Frank Slaughtery (Pepper).
Monty then goes home to his girlfriend Naturelle (Dawson) and they discuss the fact that this is his last night before prison. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that he has been busted for being a drug dealer, and he is looking at seven years in Otisville prison.
Monty visits his father James (Cox), who blames himself for his son's plight, at his Irish pub in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Monty goes to the bathroom and sees profanity written on a mirror; this prompts a hateful rant against everyone in the city that ends with Monty condemning himself. He and his father then discuss whether it was Naturelle who tipped off the police about him.
Jacob goes to Frank's apartment and talk about Monty going to prison. Jacob can't believe it's happening, but Frank claims that he deserves it because he has become rich through the misery of others. He then says that after tonight, they'll never see him again. Jacob and Frank go to a Chinese restaurant and they both confront each other about how they don't live in reality. They both meet Monty and Naturelle at a bar before going to the club.
At the club, Jacob runs into one of his students, Mary (Paquin), who goes with them into the club. Monty and Frank discuss what will happen to him in prison, and Frank promises him that they'll open a bar together once he is released. Frank and Naturelle also discuss how Monty got to this position, but Frank accuses her of not doing anything because she got used to the life his drug money afforded. He then insinuates that it might have been her who tipped off the cops. Monty and Kostya then go to speak to a group of Russian mobsters, run by Uncle Nikolai (Levan Uchaneishvili), who gives Monty some advice on how to survive in prison. Then it is revealed that it was Kostya who sold Monty out. Monty decides to leave, asserting that he'll never come back and leaving Kostya at the hands of the gangsters.
While all this is happening, Jacob kisses Mary, but her stunned reaction shows Jacob that making a move on her was a mistake. He leaves, shellshocked.
They all leave the club and go to a park, where Monty gives Doyle to Jacob. Monty then admits that he is terrified of being raped in prison, and gets Frank to beat him up, saying if he goes in looking ugly he might have a chance at survival. Frank does it reluctantly, giving Monty a black eye and a lot of cuts and bruises to his face. Monty then leaves his friends for the last time, as Jacob comforts a hysterically sobbing Frank.
Back home, James arrives and says that he'll take him to Otisville. While Jacob and Frank are still at the park reflecting on all that has happened, Monty is on his way to prison. On the way he looks out of his window and sees all the people who he ranted against standing along the road, smiling at him. He then sees a little boy on a bus and they each write their name on the window.
As they come to the George Washington Bridge, James says that if Monty wants it, he will make a left turn, leave New York, and drive through the desert until they find a town, where Monty will make a new life for himself. He will never come back to New York, but after a few years he will send for Naturelle, and they will start a family. Many years later, Monty will gather his whole family together and he'll tell them the whole story and who he is and where he comes from. Then he'll ask them if they know how lucky they are to be here, because it came so close to never happening.
The film cuts back to the present, as Monty and James continue driving, heading north towards upstate New York with the George Washington Bridge in the background.
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