25th Hour

JANUARY 28, 2003

I loved this movie. I also love Spike Lee, but this is the least Spike Lee-ish film of all of Spike Lee's career. Unlike his other films, the pace is not quick and punchy and the characters are not caricatures. So throw out any preconceived notions right now.

The story is of a man's last day before heading to jail for 7 years. He is a good guy who chose the wrong path and he's trying to make it through the day without completely losing it. There is no moral, there is no happy ending. The movie beautifully conveys everything that he experiences and all that goes through his head on this final day.

Edward Norton played the lead role and was brilliant as usual. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper. who play Norton's character's best friends, were also wonderful. One of the cool things about this movie is that it would have been equally interesting to see a feature length film about either of the friends. The cinematography was beautiful, as you'd expect, and a lot of Lee's routine techniques were used. Still, I can't get over the totally different style that Lee manages to evoke. I'm going to have to see this one again to get my head around it.

Final Verdict: Amazing. Should have been on my Top 10 of 2002.

Posted in Film at 1:31 pm.