...contains moments so raw, lyrical and playfully alert to the limitless possibilities of filmmaking that it takes a day or two to figure out the flick just ain't very good.
25th Hour (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:161
Fresh:125
Rotten:36
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: An intelligent and well-acted film despite the usual Spike Lee excesses.
Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Spike Lee's bracing adaptation of David Benioff's novel is a vibrant, vital motion picture. Edward Norton plays Monty Brogan, a harmless drug dealer who has 24 hours of freedom before serving a... Spike Lee's bracing adaptation of David Benioff's novel is a vibrant, vital motion picture. Edward Norton plays Monty Brogan, a harmless drug dealer who has 24 hours of freedom before serving a seven-year jail sentence. Nervous, confused, and terrified, Monty turns to his closest friends for support: Frank Slattery (Barry Pepper), a cocky stockbroker who resents Monty for throwing his life away; Jakob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a hapless high school teacher who is attracted to one of his students (Anna Paquin); and Monty's heartbroken father (Brian Cox), who blames himself for Monty's demise. And then there is Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), Monty's beautiful girlfriend, who may or may not be guilty of ratting Monty out to the cops. Monty spends his last day trying to ignore the inevitability of time, but everyone and everything only reminds him of the bleak, unpromising days that lay ahead. With 25TH HOUR, Spike Lee revisits the fiery territory of 1989's DO THE RIGHT THING. Frustrated by Hollywood's cold shoulder toward the tragedy of September 11th, Lee attacks the subject with fervor, resulting in a film that brilliantly captures the mood and atmosphere in New York City in the months following the attack. The film features stellar contributions from composer Terence Blanchard, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, and Lee's ensemble cast. [More]
Starring: Edward Norton, Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Barry Pepper
Starring: Edward Norton, Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson
Director: Spike Lee
Director: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: David Benioff
Producer: Julia Chasman, Tobey Maguire, Jon Kilik, Spike Lee
Composer: Terence Blanchard
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Reviews for 25th Hour
An honest and aggressive valentine to the American way, bolstered by an astounding cast and a virtuoso performance by Edward Norton.
A tour de force of ensemble acting, "25th Hour" explores the responsibilities of relationships.
It is hard to argue against a film as well-acted and sensibly assembled as this one.
Lee, as he did in Malcolm X and Clockers, makes his hero's dread palpable, and though 25th Hour lacks the glittering brilliance of those films, I was held by the toughness and pity of Lee's gaze.
A rewarding redemption piece that echoes the cynicism of post 9/11 sensibilities.
Like waiting for a New York cab - be patient, when it finally comes around, it's a wild ride.
Buoyed by compelling performances from Edward Norton and an excellent supporting cast, the film almost transcends its pulp settings.
How can so much talent be so utterly, utterly wasted on this weak material?
At its best, 25th Hour is a melancholy tone poem, deeply affecting in its mute apprehension of loss.
The value of a second chance emerges as a strong element in Lee's film.
25th Hour is both thoughtful and exciting, a movie that shifts tones casually and deceptively, building to its powerful finale.
As strong as the supporting cast is, Edward Norton really carries this film to a special status with his riveting performance.
A pungent, mostly well-acted tale of one man’s forced emotional steeling... in which Lee again proves himself a bungler of graceful denouements and points made softly.
Norton convincingly portrays both the good and bad side of his conflicted man.
A clumsy, oh-well story about the moral quandary of a drug-dealing recidivist who more or less deserves to go to jail.
The ensemble is solid, and Norton plays the gruff guy well, so you want to care about his predicament.
Just exactly what the point is to The 25th Hour remains unclear, despite being based on a well-received first novel, played-out by an assortment of seasoned performers and led by a director unafraid of risks.
Latest News for 25th Hour
December 13, 2007:
David Benioff on The Kite Runner: The RT Interview
Adapting a book into a feature film can be a daunting task, especially when it is one of the best selling books in recent history. But David Benioff, the screenwriter of The... More...
March 23, 2006:
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Tension: it's the key to many a film, and this week's wide releases bring three variants on that theme. We've got a hostage situation ("Inside Man"), class conflict... More...
December 09, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Inside Man
Looking for a good cop thriller from Spike Lee that stars Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Willem Dafoe? I know I sure do. But for now, this... More...
December 07, 2004:
Wolverine Spinoff Has a Screenwriter...and Maybe a Director
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