25th Hour

Starring:Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Tony Siragusa, Levan Uchaneishvili, Misha Kuznetsov, Tony Devon, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Michael Genet, Patrice O'Neal, Al Palagonia, Aaron Stanford, Marc H. Simon, Armando Riesco, Brad Williams, Rodney 'Bear' Jackson, Keith Nobbs
Director: Spike Lee
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

25th Hour is a eulogy, mourning the New York of post-September 11, 2001, and the regrettable life of one of the city's least reputable citizens. Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) isn't a bad guy--in fact he's a mensch, adopting a battered dog in the film's mood-setting opening scene, and leading a decent life with his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson)... when he's not dealing narcotics. Facing a seven-year prison term, Monty spends his last free night with pals (Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman) and visiting his understanding father (Brian Cox), while a Russian drug lord pressures him for getting busted. Lee directs this plotless, no-win scenario as the last gasp of a guy with nowhere to go, and the film (written by David Benioff, from his own novel) suffers from a similar loss of potential, lacking enough focus to make Monty's odyssey compelling. Instead, 25th Hour (which also costars Anna Paquin) rambles from scene to lazy scene, vaguely lamenting that lives have been wasted, some by terrorism, others by self-destruction. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Academy Award(R)-nominee Edward Norton (Best Actor, 1999, AMERICAN HISTORY X) heads an amazing all-star cast in the critically acclaimed Spike Lee (SUMMER OF SAM, DO THE RIGHT THING) film 25th HOUR. In 24 short hours Monty Brogan (Norton) goes to prison for seven long years. Once a king of Manhattan, Monty is about to say good-bye to the life he knew -- a life that opened doors to New York's swankest clubs but also alienated him from the people closest to him. In his last day on the outside, Monty tries to reconnect with his father (Brian Cox, THE BOURNE IDENTITY), and gets together with two old friends, Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman, ALMOST FAMOUS) and Slaughtery (Barry Pepper, THE GREEN MILE). And then there's his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson, MEN IN BLACK 2), who might (or might not) have been the one who tipped off the cops. Monty's not sure of much these days, but with time running out, there are choices to be made as he struggles to redeem himself in the 25th hour.

Customer Reviews:

Decent mind trip of a movie........2007-03-31

Gives an interesting look of a post 9/11 drug dealer in New York on his last day of freedom before going to prison. Edward Norton is supported by some really good character actors like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper and Rosario Dawson.

One of Spike Lee's Best.......2007-03-17

This is an unusual movie for Spike Lee. Its one of the few movies that he has maed that really holds your attention from start to finish and does not feature some snarky slam on white people.

Ed Norton is the star here as a yuppie who has messed his life up. Norton's yuppie is the sort of ordinary guy who most folks can identify with. Norton's character has reached a crossroads where he has three choices: Go on the lam, commit suicide or go to prison where his good looks ensure that he will be subjected to homosexual rape.

Before he makes his decision, Norton's felon wants to see 3 people: His retired fireman father, his best friend and his second best friend. There are other characters who he must deal with such as his girlfriend and some gangsters who push heroin.

In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, all of the above elements would add up to a mess. However, Spike Lee is able to balance everything together into a perfect equilibrium that results in a strong movie.

If you want to see a great movie by Spike Lee, then the 25th Hour is a great choice.

Wondeful ending..........2007-03-10

Great movie. You have doubts about it pretty much until the end. However, when you are done watching it...it hits you that the movie is just simply great.

Movie is about this man named Monty (Norton) who gets caught in his drug dealing and is sentenced to prison for 7 years. His last night, he goes out with friends, does things he wants to do, etc. He basically wants to live the best night before he goes to jail and lives a miserable life there. The other character's stories are briefly told and it works out beautifully because the movie spends just the right amount of time on each one.

Great acting. All characters pretty much played their part to the max. Plot is ok. Its not incredibly unique but it has some good elements. What makes this movie great is its ending. Also, the relationship Monty has with everyone surrounding him is excellent. It deeply shows the feelings he has for each.

Overall, its a pretty good movie. At first its a little slow and some camera angles are awkward at times, but if you want to see something a little different, i really recommend it.

Great Idea Awful filmmaking.......2007-02-28

I expected so much more from this movie considering the actors involved. The actors did a great job, but this film fell way short with story telling and flashbacks. There were too many flash blacks and they came at you in the wrong order.

I also hated the "multiple cuts" in the film that showed different angles of the same scene. These cuts didn't appear to be spliced together properly. It was simply aggravating. I am not aware of the proper technical terms for "multiple cuts" nor the "mirror image" mentioned below (sorry).

The way films were scened were also annoying. The scene at the brokerage firm had a "mirror image" of some characters talking to Barry Pepper's role. It took away from the scene. I am not sure why that "mirroring" was there since there wasn't a glass partition there.

Interesting scenes: Barry Pepper at the firm, Norton and his dad in the car, and Norton looking in the mirror with his character lambasting everyone

The way the film was presented, I thought a high school student put this together. Again, the acting was very good. The story had a good premise and interesting characters, but the execution was lacking.

This film was in need of focus and direction.

One of Lee's best.......2007-01-08

Spike Lee has some great gifts as a film maker. One is his ability to create chracters the audience can identify with and the other is to make the setting a character unto itself. 25th Hour was one of the first films shot in post 9/11 New York. Lee makes full use of this, showing how one city can play a big role in people's lives.

But 25th Hour is not about 9/11. 25th Hour is about friendship. It is about redemption. It is about uncertainty in the future. The film stars Edward Norton as a generally good man who unfortunately engaged in illegal activity and got caught. The film takes place on the final day before he is to serve his sentence and flashes back to the moments that led to his fate. We find him accepting of his fate, only questioning who and what led him to this moment. There is a brilliantly directed, much discussed scene where Norton is cursing the people of NYC, his friends, then finally himself as he stares at a reflection in a mirror. This is one of the single greatest scenes that define a character within a film.

This film has a brilliant script that focuses heavily not only on Norton, but two of his contrasting friends, played brilliantly by Barry Pepper and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Pepper is a sly Wall Street man who tries to be slick and even has an equation for his likelihood of success with women. Hoffman, in an untypically subtle understated performance, plays a shy seemingly shameful teacher. He serves as a counterbalance to Pepper. The way these two characters discuss themselves and their friend help define 25th Hour as a beautiful character piece.

This film's defining theme of an uncertain future is emphasized by the post 9/11 backdrop. One telling scene involves Hoffman and Pepper talking about Norton's possible future while we stare out Ground Zero in a window behind them. An uncertain future indeed...

25th Hour (2003) / Caught Up (1998) / 100 Kilos (1998) "3 DVD SET"

Average customer rating:

25th Hour (2003) / Caught Up (1998) / 100 Kilos (1998) "3 DVD SET"

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000BU6MQA

Charlie Rose with Edward Norton & Spike Lee; John Updike (January 10, 2003)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Edward Norton & Spike Lee; John Updike (January 10, 2003)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Art & Artists | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Charlie Rose with Judy Woodruff, Jeanne Cummings & Linda Wertheimer, Elvis Mitchell & Edward Norton (May 15, 2006)
The Painted Veil

ASIN: B000HBL3N0
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Description

Film director Spike Lee and actor Edward Norton talk about their work on the film 25th Hour, which chronicles a man's final day before beginning his seven-year prison sentence. Also, the author John Updike discusses his newest novel, Seek My Face.

Average customer rating:

Touching, inspirational education from an anime

Human Crossing - The 25th Hour (Vol. 1)
Starring: Human Crossing
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Human Crossing, Vol. 3: Message in White
Human Crossing, Vol. 2: The Cicadas of Winter

ASIN: B0006FFRF2
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Amazon.com

As the title suggests, the broadcast series Human Crossing (2003) focuses on the criss-crossing relationships of relatively ordinary people. At the goading of his trainer, a boxing champion makes peace with his abusive mother. A businessman resolves to work less and pay more attention to his son than his father paid to him. A promising young lawyer chooses integrity over financial success and the wishes of his future father-in-law. Like many American Saturday morning series, these mini-soap operas were animated because it was cheaper than producing them in live action. The voice actors have to express the characters' feelings, as the very limited animation doesn't convey much emotional intensity. Human Crossing will surprise viewers who expect anime to involve mecha, aliens, magical girls, space ships, and trading cards, but once the initial surprise wears off, it's not terribly interesting. (Rated 16 and older: violence, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Description

Families, husbands and wives, lovers and people. Dramas that emerge from life's human crossroads... Ordinary people muddling through life and intersect with one another in random ways. Like people walking along road crossings in different directions with no apparent destination in sight. Human Crossing is a realistic portrayal of everyday people in modern Japan with all its beauty and ugliness.In this volume, Human Crossing examines the lives of a boxer whose dark past is rekindled by his estranged mother in "The Wound", an idealistic lawyer who fights for an underprivileged young mother in "The 25th Hour", a workholic businessman who rediscovers what's most important in life in "A Promise", and an independent woman who reunites with her deadbeat father in "Direction". Human Crossing is a collection of short stories (vignettes) about hope, a reminder of the small victories one can achieve amid the vicissitudes of life.

Customer Reviews:

Touching, inspirational education from an anime.......2007-02-27

There is no action, 3D effect in this anime. But the stories and the careful description of the charaters and their behaviors are worth of viewing. The pace might be slow because there is no action. Meanwhile, you will find it very interesting and reflection of the society we live in. This is the first volumn I bought. I continued to purchase the other volumns.

Charlie Rose with Brian Cox (August 27, 2003)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Brian Cox (August 27, 2003)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

Actor Brian Cox looks back at his long career, first on television and the stage, and then in film. He also talks about his views on a potential war with Iraq and roles in the films Adaptation, 25th Hour, and X2.

Charlie Rose with Brian Cox (March 5, 2003)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Brian Cox (March 5, 2003)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

The actor Brian Cox looks back at his long career, first on television and the stage, and then in film. He also talks about his views on a potential war with Iraq and roles in the films Adaptation, 25th Hour, and X2.

Charlie Rose with David Albright; Philip Seymour Hoffman; Roger Ebert (December 16, 2002)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with David Albright; Philip Seymour Hoffman; Roger Ebert (December 16, 2002)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

An interview with David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector, about inspections in Iraq. Then, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman discusses his two most recent films, Love Liza and 25th Hour. Finally, Roger Ebert, film critic and co-host of Ebert & Roeper, talks about the movies of 2002.

Average customer rating:

Decent mind trip of a movie.
One of Spike Lee's Best
Wondeful ending...
Great Idea Awful filmmaking
One of Lee's best

25th Hour [Region 2]
Starring: Edward Norton , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Barry Pepper , Rosario Dawson , and Anna Paquin
Director: Spike Lee
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

American History X
Primal Fear
The Score
Down in the Valley
Rounders (Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B0000TZ7GS

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Decent mind trip of a movie........2007-03-31

One of Spike Lee's Best.......2007-03-17

Wondeful ending..........2007-03-10

Great Idea Awful filmmaking.......2007-02-28

One of Lee's best.......2007-01-08

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