25th Hour Movie Review

25th Hour (2002)

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Written by: David Benioff
Directed by: Spike Lee
Starring: Edward Norton, Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Rated: R
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Plot
Cornered by the DEA, convicted New York drug dealer Montgomery Brogan reevaluates his life in the twenty-four remaining hours before facing a seven-year jail term.

Verdict
Monty has one more night. He processes his anger, trying to find anyone else to blame but himself, but he knows it's his fault. He revisits old hangouts and spends time with his friends, but he can't avoid what's coming. The movie is this melancholy journey as the inevitable approaches. There's no reason to second guess or wonder what could have been. It's too late for that. Monty must pack up his life and say goodbye.
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Review
An introductory scene shows us how Monty (Edward Norton) got his dog. The story proper starts with Monty sitting on a bench in a park with the same dog when a man approaches him trying to buy drugs. Monty states he's out of the business, implying he's been caught.

Next he's at his old high school on what appears to be a nostalgia trip. He's also there to talk to his friend Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who teaches at the school. Monty is going to prison, and this is his last day. He visits his father at the restaurant. In the restroom, he launches into his 'screw you' monologue. He's mad at the world but most of all himself for being caught. All of his emotions flood out, triggered by an expletive scrawled onto the mirror. He rants about nearly everyone in New York. He wants to blame anyone and everyone for his predicament. It's not about hate and the inhabitants in the city. Just to confirm why he's mad, the last name on his list is himself. He had it all and threw it away.

 Edward Norton plays Monty Brogan

A flashback shows the day he was caught. The police knew where to find the drugs. They state his girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson) sold him out, but you can't trust cops. Monty doesn't know what to think. He knows someone ratted him out, but he doesn't want to think it could be her.

There's a long scene with Jacob and Monty's best friend Frank (Barry Pepper) talking about what makes men desirable. It's nowhere near as engaging as Monty's 'screw you' rant. I wondered if Monty would really be friends with Jacob. Is Jacob here as a contrast or to explore rules and laws as Jacob has a crush on his teenage student. It could be that he's a childhood friend that represents Monty's connection to and desire to hold on to the past.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper play Jacob, Frank

What would you do with one last night? Monty's nostalgic, visiting his old haunts in the city. He agrees to go to the club with his friends, but that's more for their benefit. Monty confesses his fears and regrets to Frank. His future is over, and he's not tough enough to survive prison.

Instead of this big time drug dealer, we're looking at a middle man. Monty is the working class of the drug world. He doesn't have the pull or connections to get himself out of this. He's forced to face his choices and weigh that against his future. He started selling to save his father's failing restaurant. Monty admits he should have quite sooner, but he was comfortable and he wasn't worried about consequences. Now he wonders what he could have or should have done differently.

Edward Norton plays Monty Brogan

The whole movie is a countdown. It's over the next morning. People offer him solutions and options, and Monty has to figure out if he'll indulge in those fantasies or embrace the inevitable. Even as his father drives him to prison, we see a man driving his son away forever. The dad's monologue expresses the hopes he still has for Monty. Despite the situation, there's optimism and he's proud of Monty yet. They both indulge in one last fantasy, and the way that unfolds has quite the impact as it explores how this will affect the rest of Monty's life. Ultimately Monty had already decided he was going to face the consequences.

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