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25th Hour - 1/10/03 - R - 134m
Ed Norton
- Monty Brogan
Barry Pepper - Frank Slaugherty
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Jakob Elinsky
Director: Spike Lee
JEF
This I have to admit was my first Spike Lee movie. I liked it
overall.
I thought the acting was terrific. The storyline used topics that have
been done a hundred times before, but it put a nice spin on things that
made this one stand above all the other gangsta style drug movies.
Storyline: Set in NYC, Ed Norton plays the role of “Monty
Brogan”, who is a drug dealer. Monty is the main character with
a fine supporting cast; Barry Pepper and Philip Seymour Hoffman play his
friends, and Rosario Dawson plays his live-in girlfriend. Monty has recently
been “pinched” for a kilo of drugs, and a large amount of
money. It’s suspected that someone close to him turned him in, but
it’s unclear whom. In NYC, he’s bound to be sentenced to a
minimum of 7 years in jail. This movie is about his final hours before
being sent to jail, and how he and his friends must cope.
I did find a couple things in this movie that didn’t quite sit well
with me. I found some of it confusing. There were some scenes that were
shot out of sequence, which confused me because then I had to wonder what
time frame we really were in. For example, the Legal issues, like the
arrest. The DEA officers come into his apartment and find his stash. Then
it cuts to Monty walking around town as if nothing was wrong. It was only
afterwards, that I figured out that he apparently was already booked and
sentenced. But then later they were talking about his sentencing like
it had not been determined. Would he get probation? Would he get 3-8 years?
Would he get 15? And then later in the movie he’s brought in and
questioned by the DEA agents, and is asked to give up his “connections”.
Now, although this confused me a bit, it did not detract too much from
the movie. It was basically about Monty’s decisions that led up
to this point, and how he and his small circle of friends are going to
deal with his leaving their lives for seven years in jail.
As I mentioned before, the acting was first rate. I’m a big fan
of Ed Norton, and this role fit him well. (I didn’t like him so
much as playing the cop in “Red Dragon”). I’m also a
big fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman. This guy can play the best “Joe
Schmoe” part with depth and feeling. Hoffman played the part of
an English teacher in a local “prep” school. Barry Pepper
did a good job playing the part of a neurotic womanizing stockbroker.
And Rosario Dawson played a good role as Monty’s girlfriend. Also
“a tip of the hat” to Brian Cox, who played Monty’s
father. It seems we’ve seen a lot of Brian Cox lately, his career
is doing well.
I mentioned that the plot had been done before many times. If you look
at it in the sense that it’s another drug movie that shows what
a drug dealers life must be like. But where this movie stands out from
the rest, is that it delved more into the personal relationships of this
drug dealer, rather than showing the usual drugs, guns, car chases, and
cursing. Don’t get me wrong; there was some of that in this movie,
but not in the same way. For example, we’re never shown Monty dealing
drugs he handles a gun one time, and no car chases.
The cinematography was well done. There were some beautiful cut scenes,
and some terrific scenes of the city life and its people in NYC. The opening
credits were simple but great.
This also brings up another aspect that I just didn’t quite get.
Several times throughout the movie, there were references made to the
9/11 tragedy. Mostly visual, for example the opening credits, and a scene
where two of the characters are talking while overlooking the clean-up
efforts at “ground zero”. I kept trying to make some sort
of connection as to what was the writer or producer was trying to say?
What did this tragedy have to do with this drug dealer’s life? And
I really couldn’t find any. When I spoke with Lyn after the movie
about this, he seemed to think that it was sort of an homage, or tribute
from Spike Lee. Perhaps a way of saying this is now a part of all our
lives. I will say that unlike other movies that seemed to use this topic
and imagery in a negative way (Gangs of NY, and Empire), this movie treated
this topic with respect and sorrow, as it should be. Not some “cheap
gimmick” to be used to trigger emotions of the audience.
Bottom line, Go see this movie if you like terrific acting, if you like
any of the above actors/actresses. Go see this if you want to see a drug
movie with a story. If you’re looking for your typical gangsta style
drug movie this is not the one.
Jef