Rating: 
Summary: It's a fabulous movie - but you've got to be in the mood
Review: This movie, Spike Lee's latest offering, is essentially his offering to New York as a parting gift. If you allow yourself to be immersed in the movie then you'll find yourself overtaken by it. The colours, the characters, the story, the pace, the music - all are brilliantly balanced by the director to make this one of the best movies to come out of 2002.The characters that Lee (and the writer of the screenplay, whose name I've forgotten) presents are complex and human. Just like in real life, nobody here is clear-cut, everyone has greater depths than are first seen and it's hard to determine who you sympathize with and who to blame. The performances are all, without exception, excellent. The story, simply put, is a character-based drama. It's about Monty (Ed Norton) and his way of dealing with the fact that he's about to go to prison for 7 years and there's a whole bunch of people and things that he's never going to see again. The movie is about how this affects him, his friends, his business partners (he deals drugs) and his girlfriend. The DVD's special features include some deleted scenes (most of which were appropriately deleted, in my opinion), a montage of Ground Zero (about 8 minutes long), a short biography of Spike Lee which is informative and to the point (22 minutes long) and commentary tracks by Spike Lee and the writer of the book and the screenplay (I haven't listened to these yet so I can't tell you what I think of them). It's a really worthwhile movie and one that, if you enjoy it, you'll want to watch again in a month or two as there are definitely scenes that stand out more once you're not obliged to follow the plot too closely. Highly recommended; but don't plan on being in a particularly jovial mood afterwards.
Rating: 
Summary: Near perfect...
Review: Spike Lee's "25th Hour" comes close to being his best movie to date, and is hampered only by a slight overindulgence in making his points. The film sets its scene over the opening credits, where we see a skyline of Manhattan punctuated by two blue solid beams of light shooting up into the night sky, where the Twin Towers used to be. It is a perfect image to introduce the movie's themes of cultural identity, economic oppression, and redemption after tragedy. The movie depicts the last 24 free hours of Monty Brogan, an Irish New Yorker, onetime basketball star, and full-time drug dealer. When the movie opens he is saying goodbye to the lifestyle his business afforded him: attractive apartment in a high rent neighborhood, gorgeous girlfriend (Rosario Dawson), and the telltale creepy hangers on, in this case members of the Ukranian mafia for whom Monty worked. He is also saying goodbye to his high school friends, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper, both of whom seem steps away from careening their own lives out of control. Hoffman is close to engaging in a Lolita-eque affair with a student of his, and Pepper seems on his way to a life of corporate crime. The movie lets the audience draw its own conclusions about the lives of these characters. I think most will see an ironic parallel between Monty's illegal crimes and Pepper's legal ones, and the Ukranian mob boss's words of advice to Monty seem to center the theme of the movie. To survive in prison, he tells Monty, "find a guy with no friends, and you will have power over him." It is Monty's loyal friends who give his life a fighting chance. In a touching scene that turns Pepper's character on its ear from a Wall Street stereotype, he tells Monty that he will survive in prison "because you're smarter than everyone else there". Monty can look around and watch out for himself in a way others can't. His speech is touching, but seems to ignore the fact that Monty was turned in by telling too much to one of his comrades. Pepper might survive in prison; I'm not sure Monty will. Overall, "25th Hour" in an excellent, thought provoking film.
Rating:
Summary: 3.5 Stars for 25th Hour
Review: Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) has just one day left before going to prison for dealing drugs. Monty isn't really a bad guy - he's just been "caught" and must now pay the ultimate price. We get to see Monty say his "goodbyes" before going to the big house. The main plot is a fun ride; even the subplots are up to par with the rest of the film.
Rating:
Summary: Allegory About America - Subversive 25th Hour
Review: This movie is amazing, and what's more amazing is that Spike Lee got Disney to make it. This fact, along with the above Amazon review above, only go to show how completely the movies critics and funders missed the essential point of the work. It's not a eulogy, not a touching portrait of New York as it once was, this is clearly the most political movie that Spike Lee has ever produced. If you don't scratch the surface, the movie makes little sense. Ed Norton plays a drug dealer who gets caught and must decide if he will go to jail. The movie is really an allegory for the choice America must face: return to its idealistic roots, or enter a police state of violence and retribution. It's not surprising that everyone misses the point. The vocabulary of film does not employ allegory often, but in this instance, the allegory works precisely as a one-to-one correspondence between the characters in the film, and current events. Once you have the key, this movie makes far more sense, and it's clear what about this movie makes you sad, and also clear that Spike Lee has produced the most powerful work about our current choice between Empire and Republic, and what to my mind is the best art about 9-11 made to date.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie Actually Filmed in NYC? Poppycock!
Review: No one can argue that the two most prolific directors in American movies today are Woody Allen and Spike Lee. But while Allen has spent the past 30 years making the same movie over and over (and over) again, Lee continues to try new things and explore new ideas. Lee may occasionally stumble, but no filmmaker today tackles social issues and human conflict, and the dynamic between the two better than Lee. He is the best director working in America right now, and he's the best filmmaker of his generation. The fact that he is more famous for being a Knick fan than for his film work is a crime, but it doesn't seem to discourage Lee at all. Take, for example, 25th Hour. Lee is incorrectly reviled by many for being a race baiter. But if he is, would he be making a movie where a black cop harasses a white drug dealer? 25th Hour explores the saga of Monty (Edward Norton) not through some sort of Al Sharpton-colored lens. Instead, it's a carefully woven tale of one man's life and friendships dissolving in a post-9/11 New York that is coming apart itself. The feeling of sadness, anger, rage, and helplessness all felt after 9/11 echo in Monty's anger at both himself and others for his predicament. The celebration that is supposed to be Monty's last night as a free man all too realistically becomes the final cutting of relationship threads that had been slowly fraying for years. Norton's performance displays both anger and ambivalence, particularly in his notorious bathroom rant. Rather than show Monty's tirade as nothing but pure ugliness, Lee turns it into a moment of catharsis before Monty takes responsibility for his own actions. It's natural to lash out at others before finally turning the microscope on yourself, and Monty does it in a private moment designed to provoke himself and no one else. It's a fascinating sequence, and worth seeing 25th Hour for by itself. But there are other reasons - Barry Pepper, in particular. Pepper, who should have gotten an Oscar nomination, gives a pitch-perfect performance as a hardened young man who's not as indestructible as he thinks he is, even when he's assaulting another man in a gut-wrenching final sequence. As we see Pepper's shell erode, he becomes more recognizable, more human. And he ends up earning our empathy, which seems impossible in the beginning of the movie. Lee also films New York City better than anyone in the movies today. This is a New York movie - exploring every nuance in the city with 9/11 still, sometimes literally, in the backdrop. Even when the story meanders, Lee always gives you something to look at. If the end of 25th Hour feels like a copout, it's because it is one of those films, like Cast Away, that condemns itself to an ending that won't please everyone. But even in that moment there is a glimmer of hope that Lee wants to take away from the bleakness of both Monty's life and New York City. As Jimmy Breslin said in Summer of Sam, New York City is a town that you "both love and hate equally". Spike Lee seems to feel the exact same way, and it's that idea - along with its personification in Monty - that makes 25th Hour so compelling.
Rating:
Summary: Great Urban Drama
Review: I think this movie, Spike Lee's latest contribution to the big screen, is something really special. Others can disagree, but I really felt an enormous amount of respect and enjoyment in the themes this movie offered. It is hard to explain, as this movie is as complex as it is good. Let's just say this, Lee manages to present an intriguing morality drama, with an amazing host of characters, all against the backdrop of a sunken and depressed New York. It is not his best movie, you would have to go back to "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X" to see what Lee is truly capable of, but this is definitely the best of his more recent films. Monty Brogan is a man who made a big mistake. Played brilliantly by Edward Norton, Mr. Brogan, an extremely intelligent and likeable young man, became involved in illegal narcotics. He was good at it, made a lot of money doing it, but he went to far, got too greedy, and got caught. Brogan is now facing a 7-year prison term, not easy for a relatively "easy" and "pretty" young man to get through. The movie, which is rife with flashbacks, tells the story of Brogan's last day, and the party thrown in his honor. Brogan has to face a multitude of issues, including his relationship with his young girlfriend. Brogan suspects she may have told the Feds about his business. Monty also has to deal with drug kingpin Nikolai, who suspects Brogan will talk if offered a deal in prison. If this was not enough for Norton to think about, he is faced with his somewhat troublesome father son relationship. To help him through this tough time, he summons his two oldest friends, who escort Brogan to the going away party at a trendy nightclub. So the movie now presents us with separate but diverging storylines. One of Monty's old friends is a high school English teacher, who longs for one of his young students. Philip Seymour Hoffman is excellent in his role as Mr. Elinsky, who is just hopelessly conflicted between this girl and his job. Amazingly, he is faced with this temptation at the nightclub, as the Anna Paquin character is more than willing to fulfill his desires. Brogan's other friend is Francis, a big time wall street trader who is being torn apart by feelings of guilt and anger over his best friend Monty. Francis wonders if he let his friend down by not objecting to his illegal trade. Seeing Barry Pepper in this role was a real revelation, as I found him almost as compelling as Monty. The nightclub setting is the best part of the movie, but the ending is compelling, as everything seems to collide in one big confrontation. As Brogan prepares to turn himself in, we learn what he and his friends are really made of. There are several things that make this movie great. First off, the acting. Almost everyone involved gives a really notable performance, but especially Norton. He is the engine behind this movie, a narrator that never loses the viewers attention. Hoffman and Pepper are great, as is pretty much everyone else. Second, the music. This is one of those soundtracks that you really notice, with great music interludes at just the right times. Third, the shooting. Lee really shows off his always present artistic talent by painting a beautiful portrait of a nervous urban landscape, populated by a conflicted and anxious people. I had no problem with the 9/11 references, as I thought they only added to the dark mystique of the movie. Big winner for Lee and Norton. Great cinema.
Rating: 
Summary: just average
Review: Spike Lee is one of the Most Creative Directors in the Business but more often than not He gets Cluttered with so many ideas&then loses steam with alot of His Films.He has a tendecy to add a few to many story lines without fully dealing with the Main One.Edward Norton does a Decent Job here but He gets Bogged down here in this film.this Film had some good ideas but after a while you are trying to remember who&waht is going on.this should have been a Knock Out film as to Being a Film that just has alot of ideas but very litle Proper Direction.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing really happens
Review: 25th Hour has some enjoyable elements, and works in a special way. A man is sentenced to jail, and is allowed time on the outside to say goodbye. Naturally he reflects on what might have been, and also questions his friendships. I found the film had alot of hidden meanings, but it did lose some credibility with the freedom aspect. I dont know what it is like in America, but if you were sentenced to jail for being a drug dealer in Australia, you would be kept in custody beforehand for weeks. I have to admit it was difficult to feel compassion for Norton since his character is that of a drug dealer. Perhaps if he was being sentenced for something different, it might have helped gain my compassion. Worth seeing, even if it is rather depressing at times.
Rating:
Summary: New York, New York....
Review: Certainly one of Spike Lee`s best movies, "25th Hour" focuses the last day of freedom of a condemned drug dealer (Edward Norton). Facing an unpredictable yet decisive moment in his life, Monty decides to spend his last day with his girlfriend and closest friends, and manages to think about the path he is taking. Flowing at a slow, contemplative and low-key pace, this movie is a strong and compelling character study that focuses issues like friendship, love, trust, choices in a subtle, poignant and complex way. Lee`s direction is solid as always, and he even approaches the post-11/9 NY events in a memorable and fascinating manner, creating a somber, deep and captivating atmosphere. The acting is stellar, since it combines the talents of Rosario Dawson, Brian Cox, Philip Semour Hoffman, Barry Pepper and Anna Paquin. Add an excellent score (Terence Blanchard), ace photography (Rodrigo Prieto) and you`ve got one of the best movies of 2003. A thoughtful and enticing cinematic experience, "25th Hour" avoids easy sappiness and presents a mature and well-told story. A keeper.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING
Review: Very well acted and well shot. Nothing happens. You keep waiting for something interesting, but it never comes along. Besides which, it has this confusing conceit of a man who's been sentenced to jail, but then he gets some time on the outside to say goodbye to people and possibly escape if he wants. It may be that this does happen in the criminal justice system, but it flies so counter to what i'm used to (you get convicted, you go straight to jail) that it just made it hard to take in. Save your money. there are so many better movies with the same people (Lee, Norton, Hoffman, Paquin...)
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