Let me first say that this film is fantastic.
Spike Lee manages to tell a very important story about "growing" in America.
Like the majority of Spike Lee's films, the "25th hr" is set in (present day) N.Y.C. . This film deals with living and growing in an America that lives with the wool pulled over it's eyes, and from the perspectives of the individual characters the wool is being removed for them.
The central character "Monty", is a drug dealer living a charmed life in N.Y.C. . He is just as much a business man as his father-a bar owner/retired fireman, his best friends-a school teacher, and a Wall Street Investor. It is unsure what his girlfriend does for a living,but she does provide Monty with an emotional stability that is the actual center of his obviously upwardly mobile yet wholesome life.
The film takes us into Monty's life on his last day of freedom,before he is due to report to a Federal Prison for drug dealing. Like Clockers, the film explores the options that we have in our lives in the middle of mounting personal tradgedies.
It also juxtaposes the microcosm into the macrocosm-this is where N.Y.C. rounds out the cast as a giant mirror to Monty's protagonist.
Go see it.
I saw it. I enjoyed it. The cinematography was excellent...yes Spike still employs his moving sidewalk effect and it is still effective. The score by Terrence Blanchard was subtle and strong, and also a relief because the music doesn't steer your emotions like most hollywood movies,as much as compliment the story that is being told (old school like a mother).
I snuck into "Gangs of New York" afterward and was mildly impressed with it,but the student has surpassed the teacher as far as painting a picture and telling a story to moviegoers.
For some reason I was thinking that 25th hour is like a David Mamet/Spike Lee vibe. But it's actually a very comfortable and mature Spike Lee who isn't afraid or reactionary about living without the wool over his eyes.

s.blak
get in the water and shut up

keep: looking,searching,seeking,finding

I think they overdid it a little with all the 9/11 stuff, but it was a really good movie. The mirror scene was fantastic. Philip Seymor Hoffman was perfectly cast...I felt so bad for his character. Anna Paquin is fucking hot...and Rosario Dawson is no slouch either.


"Holla back...but listen first."
--Common

aim: cflartey

Beware The Illgaluminati.

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yeah I didnt really get all the 9-11 stuff. Its like he just threw that in for no reason. but I loved the film, I saw it twice in the same day.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"I used to love her, now she violated"

"I was destined to come,
Predicted blame god he blew breath in my lungs"

"Blood of a Slave, Heart of a King"

"Theirs hunger in the street that is hard to defeat, many stea

Spike Lee is a New Yorker and this is a New York film. The city is just as much a character in the film as it is the location, so to ignore the impact and signifigance of Sept 11th would not be doing the film (or city) justice. This film incorporates Sept 11th because it was an event that impacted the city and the people in it, which is also a similar theme with the movie. The film follows Monty on his last day of freedom and we see how his situation not only affects him, but how it has an impact with all the people in his life.

Most of the time when we see references to Sept 11th or the WTC in films or television it is assosiated with the 'war on terror' or it focuses on this country's patriotism and how we stand strong. I thought that the Sept 11th references in the film were subtle and used in a way that didn't take away from the story. It simply paid homage to the tragic event but also showed that life goes on and we all continue to continue on our day to day lives.

word life.
thanks for saying that.

so do you think the last scene was literal or figurative?
It was cool to see the option taken whichever

s.blak
peace

keep: looking,searching,seeking,finding

Totally agree. Barry Peppers line about Bin Laden droppin another one next door and him still not movin was spoken like a true New Yorker.

This movie was excellent. Great cast and great performances. The movie goes thru a nice range of emotions. Usually no one can steal scenes from Norton or Hoffman but Pepper does in this movie. Dont get me wrong, Norton and Hoffman are still wonderful but IMO Pepper was excellent. From his hilarious opening scene @ his job 2 the finale w/ that pantented scowl he seems 2 own, he gave a top notch performance. His charater never beat around the bush he just came out and spoke his mind and didnt give a fuck. I loved it.

And I also enjoyed the ending. The whole flick I wanted 2 see Norton get outta the prison sentence one way or another as long as it wasnt death and especially not suicide.(*SPOILER*) I'm gonna choose 2 believe that his Dad did drive him 2 the desert 2 start a new life, altho the girl I saw it w/ was crying @ the end cuz she went w/ the notion that he was just dreaming and that eventually he gets dropped off @ the prison.

I'll definitly be seeing this one again...soon

BTW There is another post on this movie already but I figured what tha heck and had 2 respond after seeing the 9/11 comments

...that the 9/11 stuff was a tribute and a lot of it was nicely done. I just think they overdid it a little bit...especially during the part where Barry Pepper and P.S. Hoffman were talking by the window...one second they're talking about Monty and then all the sudden it flashes down to ground zero and the fuckin' patriotic music starts. It just didn't make any sense to me.


"Holla back...but listen first."
--Common

aim: cflartey

Beware The Illgaluminati.

http://charlesonlymusic.bandcamp.com
http://soundcloud.com/charlesonlymusic
http://theyesyesyalls.com
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now aint that some bullshit.

________
"promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind"-cl

BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME, make sure you're perfect.

"I'm hella Black, and irresponsibility ain't my culture. Yall niggas just gon have to own that as individuals"- Boo

>now aint that some bullshit.

you live in sf right? it's playing in berkeley (at the californian?). i saw it last weekend.

errrm....?
I saw it at the Metreon and it's showing at the 1000 Van Ness.

check your local listings for movie times.

s.blak
odwalla superfood + mickey's malt liquor = ickey owwie

keep: looking,searching,seeking,finding

ohh shit... is that you...


yeah, i'm not embarrassed by that anymore, hahahah... it wasn't my finest hour...but shit happens.



how's it going?


this is on my list to do this weekend.

ohh yeah, you should come out and protest..... i asked walter too.

________
"promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind"-cl

BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME, make sure you're perfect.

"I'm hella Black, and irresponsibility ain't my culture. Yall niggas just gon have to own that as individuals"- Boo

ha-ha.

s.blak
say whut?

keep: looking,searching,seeking,finding

**giggles**

________
"promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind"-cl

BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME, make sure you're perfect.

"I'm hella Black, and irresponsibility ain't my culture. Yall niggas just gon have to own that as individuals"- Boo

So did he go to prison or run?

I believe he ran. Was it the way he kept taking out the picture of he and his mom and dad when he was little, wanting so much that life again or was it the dog barking at the end of the credits that left you with the feeling that everything had come full circle and he was once again starting a new life.

What did Frank's character represent and didn't it just feel bad for him while he beat up on Ed Norton's character?
Was it the superficial side of America?

Who read the book? How did it in?

carry on...

peace

Mahogany




the possibilities are endless...

Life is but a dream.

There are no answers, only choices.

I do not think, if one is a writer, that one escapes it by trying to become something else. One does not become something else: one becomes nothing

>So did he go to prison or run?
>
>I believe he ran. Was it the way he kept taking out the
>picture of he and his mom and dad when he was little,
>wanting so much that life again or was it the dog barking at
>the end of the credits that left you with the feeling that
>everything had come full circle and he was once again
>starting a new life.

I felt the final shot of Ed Norton in the car made it perfectly clear that he DID go to prison. I didnt stay until the end of the credits to hear the barking dog but if thats all there was its not enough to change my mind. He went to prison

I agree that he went to prison. Although the what if.. scenario was cool, I think it would have weakend the movie to have him run. Besides, he would never be able to return to NYC ever again!! I think I would choose 7 years in a federal prison over having to peace out my city forever. Hopefully, I won't ever be faced with that dilema.

>I agree that he went to prison. Although the what if..
>scenario was cool

Yeah it really was. I'm still refusing 2 believe that he went tho. I cant bring myself 2 it.

I think it would have weakend the movie
>to have him run.

I dont think so. 2 me that was the only reason why his Dad demanded 2 drive him.

Besides, he would never be able to return
>to NYC ever again!! I think I would choose 7 years in a
>federal prison over having to peace out my city forever.
>Hopefully, I won't ever be faced with that dilema.

Man fuck that shit. Seattle is cool and all but if it's between that and facing all the prison horror stories they talked about in the movie...I'M AUDI C-YA SEATTLE!

Plus he could always come back a few years down the road w/ a new indentity as long as he didnt look the same.

>excellent...yes Spike still employs his moving sidewalk
>effect and it is still effective.

spike's double dolly shot will forever be genius, and possibly one of the most recognizable trademarks of any director, living or dead.

lee is the 2nd greatest living filmmaker, only behind his mentor and teacher, scorcese.

=========================================================
you worry 'bout the wrong thangs, the wrong thang.

ha.
Gangs of N.Y. was sort of weak, man

s.blak
Barbary Gangsta

keep: looking,searching,seeking,finding

Anyone clear on why Tony Siragusa's character ratted Monty out?

the same reason everyone rats. He got busted

Its good to see everyone agree that it was a good film.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

I wrote this opinion in the other 25th Hour thread. I apologize in advance for the redundancy.

This is a movie review. As always, expect spoilers.

Let me preface by admitting that I had high expectations. Spike's movies always give a little more -- whether it be visuals, shock value, and then some. So I trekked into the hell that is Times Square to see 25th Hour as it is only playing in three theaters in the City, and I didn't feel like going crosstown.

First off, the acting was fantastic. Edward Norton is the man, as always. Barry Pepper really came through, which was a complete shock and delight to me. Philip Seymour Hoffman can really do no wrong. Brian Cox rocks. Rosario Dawson sucks as an actress, but she gets a pass for being the sexiest woman in movies.

Unfortunately, the movie is not at all plot driven. As one person said, New York does not merely act as the setting, but it is another character. Fuck that. New York was the whole damn movie. And generally, I love New York movies. Woody Allen, Igby Goes Down, etc. Fuck, I loved Vanilla Sky and was able to sit through Streets of New York (another Rosario Dawson flick) just because they made good use of the City.

Basically, I felt this movie would have worked better as a photo album, or a slide show, because Spike most definitely delivered some beautiful and poignant pictures of New York. Unfortunately, Spike doesn't make slide shows or photo albums, so instead he made a fairly shitty movie, and used it as a vehicle to displays his images.

I saw the movie yesterday. Philip Seymour Hoffman gets pushed to one of my fav actors. Some of Spike Lees isms have begun to get old. Otherwise, i good film. not my favorite Spike Lee film.

"Rosario Dawson sucks as an actress, but she gets a pass for being the sexiest woman in movies."
aint that the damn truth

most of her chance to show skills were in the bar. her exchange with the stock broker character (barry peppers?) showed her acting talent well, i think. she also showed off some comedic talent/charisma when she was sitting between the schoolteacher and the stockbroker character, in the club waiting for Ed Norton, shooting the shit. there was some good chemistry there that couldn't have occurred if one of the actors onscreen didn't have any talent. she held her own.

Peace,

Spirit (Alan)
http://wutangbook.com

Thank god she agreed 2 wear that silver dress Monty asked her 2.

whoever played the stockbroker did a great job....i didn't catch his name in the credits (i was paying too much attention to the springsteen song they were playing...i hardly ever get a chance to peep dude's material, but he always impresses me...if anyone can suggest an album to cop, hit my inbox).

back to the film...the acting was great and all these posts about "it's not plot driven" is silliness, almost every movie is plot driven because it's almost impossible to have a two hour film without a plot (it would have to be random images projected on the screen for 2 hours). clearly, there was a plot here; what people think is "not plot driven" is actually a comment on the fact that the struggle in the film is mostly internal...inside edward norton as he tries to cope with the idea that he is about to serve one long stretch...as well as how this affects his friends, father, and his woman...there are also some subplots, but I won't talk too much about that....just go see it...anyone who says it's not "plot driven" is too used to the overly simplistic writing of many Hollywood scripts ("the hero's wife is killed, then he has to get revenge, and is confused about whether or not his best friend in on it...you think the killer is the killer, but it turns out the killer is Papa Smurf in disguise and his friend is really his wife and she never got killed at all"...this trend towards plot convolution has people walking out of movies saying "that had no plot" just because the movie doesn't have any 180 degree plot turns or can be excitedly described to friends ("it's about a man who has an alien growing in his stomach!")). come on now...

back to "the 25th hour". see it. the acting is great. rosario doesn't really get to shine much, acting wise, until the later scenes in the club.

also, this film had one of the most realistic depictions of urban club life that i have seen on film. how they panned the music from left and right speakers in the theater as the DJ was switching on the crossfader was great. DJ Cipha Sounds did the damn thing there.

the DEA agents were funny ass shit too. "Sheeee-it". Those were classic cop scenes right there. "This sofa is awfully lumpy....".

Peace,

Spirit (Alan)
http://wutangbook.com

"this film had one of the most realistic depictions of urban club life that i have seen on film"...yeah man..the club soundtrack was incredible...(loved that they pulled cymande into the mix)..so was the overall score by terence blanchard(especially the beginning of movie)...

.loved the actors and actresses spike chose...while i did like the movie, i did find the pacing a little slow and i can see why cat made the comment about the plot...there could have been more pressure on monty and i kept anticipating that something was gonna happen around the corner but nothing ever did...

...the city of ny was an integral part of the story though...when monty started his 'fuck you' rage about all the different types of people in ny, i thought of that scene in barbershop when eve's character said she was gonna break up w/ her man and he responded by saying she wasn't that cute anyway...and by that example i mean that sometimes when we know we can no longer have something or be w/ someone, we tend to amplify the faults and convince ourselves we really don't care for it/her/them/etc (i.e. quest's verse in 'you aint fly')...monty's rage was like that...he was ranting about the folks/things he hated in nyc but those are some of the things that make nyc, nyc...and it was his way of trying to convince himself that he wasn't gonna miss home in order to handle the time in prison better...but in the end, we see some of those same character's smiling at monty and i took that to mean while he may have bitched and complained, those are some of the things he really loved and would miss...

..and to love all those things, especially after having experiencing 9-11 (which spike emphasized w/ his images), you gotta be a true new yorker at heart...which would have made monty's decision to flee, live in the midwest, and never be able to go home again like his pops advised -- very difficult.

"whoever played the stockbroker did a great job...."
i dont know the guys name but he is a good actor. He was the sharpshooter in Saving Private Ryan