25th Hour
| 25th Hour | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Spike Lee |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | David Benioff |
| Based on | The 25th Hour by David Benioff |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Terence Blanchard |
| Cinematography | Rodrigo Prieto |
| Editing by | Barry Alexander Brown |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Touchstone Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 19, 2002 |
| Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Box office | $23,928,503 |
25th Hour is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and is based on the novel The 25th Hour written by David Benioff, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
In late 2002, it is Monty Brogan's last day of freedom before he begins serving a 7 year long sentence for dealing drugs. He plans to spend his last night of freedom at a club with his childhood friends Jacob Elinsky and Frank Slaughtery, his girlfriend Naturelle, and his father, James. Frank, his best friend since they were both three, is an investment banker on Wall Street. Jacob is a quiet, dorky high school teacher who comes from a privileged background.
Monty sells drugs for Uncle Nikolai, a Russian mobster, along with his partner Kostya. Kostya tells Monty it might have been Naturelle, who lives with Monty and knows where he hid his drugs and money, who tipped the cops. Monty began selling drugs to pay protection on James's bar.
At a night club, Jacob runs into one of his students, Mary, who goes with them into the club. Monty and Frank discuss what will happen to him in prison, and Frank promises him that they'll open a bar together once he is released. Frank and Naturelle also discuss how Monty got to this position, but Frank accuses her of not doing anything because she got used to the life his drug money afforded. He then insinuates that she might have been the one who tipped off the cops. Monty and Kostya then go to speak to a group of Russian mobsters, run by Uncle Nikolai, who gives Monty some advice on how to survive in prison. Then it is revealed that it was Kostya who sold Monty out. Nikolai asks Monty to kill Kostya in exchange for protecting his father's bar. Monty decides to leave, asserting that he will never come back, leaving Kostya at the hands of the gangsters.
While all this is happening, Jacob kisses Mary, but her stunned reaction shows Jacob that making a move on her was a mistake. He leaves, shellshocked. They all leave the club and go to a park, where Monty gives Doyle, his dog, to Jacob. Monty then admits that he is terrified of being raped in prison, and asks Frank to beat him up, saying if he goes in looking ugly he might have a chance at survival. Frank refuses to do it, even after continued verbal goading by Monty, until Monty feigns an attack on Jacob. Frank reluctantly beats up Monty, giving him a black eye, broken nose, and a lot of cuts and bruises to his face. Monty then leaves his friends for the last time, as Jacob comforts a hysterically sobbing Frank.
Back home, Monty's father arrives and says that he will take him to Otisville. As his father drives him to the prison, he offers to drive him far away into hiding, giving Monty one last sight of freedom. Together, they envision a future where he escapes imprisonment, reunites with Naturelle, starts a family, and grows old. As this fantasy ends, we see the car they are in has skipped the turn that the fantasy began with.
[edit] Cast
- Edward Norton as Monty Brogan
- Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Jacob Elinsky
- Barry Pepper as Frank Slaugherty
- Rosario Dawson as Naturelle Riviera
- Anna Paquin as Mary D'Annunzio
- Brian Cox as James Brogan
[edit] Production
The film was in the "planning stages" at the time of the September 11 attacks and so Lee "decided not to ignore the tragedy but to integrate it into his story."[1]
[edit] Reception
The film received positive reviews by critics, receiving a 78% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 161 reviews.[2] Film critic Roger Ebert added this film to his "Great Movies" list on December 16, 2009.[3] A. O. Scott[4], Richard Roeper[5] and Roger Ebert all put it on their "best films of the decade list".[6]
[edit] Music
The film's musical score was composed by Terence Blanchard. Other songs that appear in the film (and are not included in the original score) are as follows:
- Big Daddy Kane – "Warm It Up, Kane"
- Craig Mack – "Flava in Ya Ear"
- The Olympic Runners – "Put the Music Where Your Mouth Is"
- Grandmaster Melle Mel – "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)"
- Liquid Liquid – "Cavern"
- Cymande – "Bra"
- Cymande – "Dove"
- Cymande – "The Message"
- Bruce Springsteen – "The Fuse" (Plays during the credits)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ 9/11: FIVE YEARS LATER: Spike Lee's '25th Hour
- ^ "25th Hour (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/25th_hour/. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (December 16, 2009). "25th Hour review". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5r92Pejqk. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ Dunn, Brian (December 26, 2009). "A. O. Scott's Ten Best Films of the 2000s". http://www.bpdreview.com/2009/12/michael-phillips-and-o-scotts-ten-best.html. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (January 1, 2010). "Roeper's best films of the decade". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5r931yLtn. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (December 30, 2009). "The best films of the decade". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5r92dOFlB. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: 25th Hour |
- 25th Hour at the Internet Movie Database
- 25th Hour at AllRovi
- 25th Hour at Box Office Mojo
