I love Brian Cox, but the closing monologue in 25th Hour didn't really get me. I think everyone finds their point of reference where they will. For me, it was the "fuck you" monologue. I agree that, overall, this wasn't Norton's best work (strangely, I think that overall this wasn't anyone's best work, but the whole was much greater than the sum of its parts), but that love/hate thing with NY really pulled me in.

I actually started crying at the opening credits, which I thought were incredibly beautiful, but then I'm kind of a crybaby these days.