25th Hour

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: Edward Norton, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox

Genre: Drama 2002

Running Time: 135 mins.

Rating: ★★

A New York drug dealer, Montgomery Brogan (Edward Norton) is about to face a seven-year jail term in 24 hours. A life that had once made him an important man on the streets with V.I.P. privileges in clubs included, now seems unimportant to Brogan. He make once last attempt to reconnect with childhood buddies (Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper), his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson), and his widowed dad (Brian Cox). 

The dynamics between Brogan (Norton) and each of the supporting characters are very well done. You get a sense that they have known each other a very long time, care for each other, have been through a lot with one another, and that Brogan is the glue in keeping them going. You sympathize with the emotion loss and inner turmoil  that the two friends, the girlfriend, and the father are feeling over the sentence that Brogan is about to serve. But all of this is due to great assemble of cast and this is where the movie falters. Yes, it is evident that there is a theme of perseverance. The movie hopes that because there is such an all-star cast that the audience will ignore all of its weaknesses. 

The unnecessary quick repetition in moments, as if you weren't smart enough to understand that this the last time, in a long time, that two characters are going to be able to this. The moment after Hoffman's and Paquin's characters kiss in the bathroom, Hoffman's character displaying obvious guilt. And though, an accomplished actor, like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, should be enough on screen, its ruined by a prolong, Hoffman on a dolly. Again, execute that you the audience are not smart enough to see that this character is regretting his action. And if I needed to be reminded that Pepper's and Norton's characters were to Irish boys, the movie tells you more times that you need to know. The sub-stories, too, do not tie in with the main plot well at all, in fact, it seemed unnecessary, but with an all-star cast, why would you think it wouldn't?...period

The end sequence of Brogan (Norton) and his father (Cox). With another accomplished actor, Brian Cox, one would think that it would be falwless. And in any other circumstance, you would absolutely correct. Cox's monologue is brilliant and a heart wrenching performance that you are emotion present along with him of a father willing to risk anything for his son not to go through with serving the seven-year sentence. However, like many times before, its ruined by a "what-if" visual that you know isn't going to happen, but since you obviously can't get the fluctuation in tone from Cox's voice or the words that are coming out of his mouth because again the movie assumes you don't have a brain, so it HAS TO give you fantasyland play out of what his character is trying to tell his son.

Lastly, the only real beautiful cinematography are the scenes by the river. I'm still trying to figure out, aside from the prison connection, why the movie poster of "Cool Hand Luke" was in Brogan's apartment.