Spike Lee's new film "25th Hour" is unique among today's movies in that it does not contain a real plot or ending -- it is simply the story of one day of one man's life. That the day is extraordinary, the man is fascinating and his life is in jeopardy is what makes "25th Hour" one of the best films of 2002. It proves that you don't need to stoop to formulas to make great movies.
The story of "25th Hour" is simple: Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) has been convicted of dealing heroin and was sentenced to seven years in a prison upstate. That is his past. The story we see is his present. Monty must spend his last night with his friends and his girl, wandering the streets of New York and wondering where his life went wrong, all the while speculating who snitched on him and how he's going to get by as a pretty white boy in prison.
The story is in the characters, consisting primarily of Monty and his two friends Frank (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), along with his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson). Not one of the roles is underwritten and each one shines while on the screen. This is the rare film where a movie doesn't lag when the main character isn't in a scene.
Norton dazzles as usual in his role as Monty. He uses his immense skill as an actor to make us sympathize with Monty without liking him, even for a second, or liking what he has chosen to do for a living. Norton expands his range in this movie, going beyond the mostly nice guys he has played in the past.
As a heroin dealer, Monty is not apologetic for what he did but simply regrets that he got caught. Norton's face clearly shows Monty's fear of what the future holds for him. That is the mark of a truly great actor: to convince us without telling us.
As Oscar-worthy as Norton's performance is, "25th Hour" is stolen by Barry Pepper. Pepper is captivating in every scene that he is in and is by far the most interesting character in the film. He plays Frank, Monty's oldest friend. Frank lives every Comm School kid's dream: working Wall Street by day, earning loads of money, and partying all night -- in a word, a soulless existence.
But Pepper plays Frank with frightening intensity. We know that he loves Monty, but he also is the only one of Monty's friends who feels that he got what he deserved. Frank says he'll be there for him in the end but makes no teary apologies for his old friend's wrongdoing. It is the most interesting and realistic portrayal of friendship in a movie that I have seen in a long time.
The always-reliable Hoffman plays Jacob, who serves as the opposite of Monty. Jacob is a man born into money and afraid to live his life the way that he wants. He is a high school teacher, a vocation that does not challenge him, who lusts after an underage student, although he does not take action on his feelings. In many ways, his life is as much of a waste as Monty's.
Rounding out the cast are three terrific character actors. Rosario Dawson plays Monty's exotic girlfriend who may or may not have turned him in. Anna Paquin shines as Jacob's lolita-esque student, while Brian Cox is convincing as Monty's stubborn father. All three more than hold their own against the A-list trio that leads the cast.
Spike Lee's direction also is a credit to "25th Hour," although he allows the film to occasionally drag in the middle. That aside, he adds many of his trademark devices to an already great picture to put it over the top.
First, Lee has near constant references to Sept. 11 in the film, making this the first movie to take the subject head on. The terrorist attacks are constantly in the background and on everyone's minds, just as they were in New York at the time the movie is set.
Lee includes two extraordinary scenes that must be singled out for their brilliance.
First, Monty goes to a bathroom mirror and begins to curse out everything and everyone in New York, saying all the things that he hates about it. Suddenly, Monty's reflection comes to life and starts cursing him out, saying he has wasted his life and not to blame others for it. It is a dramatic and effective sequence with echoes of Lee's "Do The Right Thing."
The second notable scene concludes the movie, in which Monty's father gives a long voiceover describing what Monty's life could have been. At the end of his moving speech he puts Monty to the challenge, saying that all the good things in life could still be his, and we realize that his life need not be over, that his final day actually may have a 25th hour.
"25th Hour" is some of Lee's best work and should be recognized as such. It captures a man and a city at a time in which both are uncertain and in much pain. Lee does not judge them, instead leaving the judgement up to us. "25th Hour" is remarkable in that it is not what is on screen, but our reaction to what is shown that is important.
In a time where no other film is daring enough to take on the issues of today, "25th Hour" should be lauded for holding itself and its audience up to a higher standard.
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