25th Hour

REVIEW
While Norton is top-billed in this Lee “joint”, 25th Hour works because of the talent of its ensemble cast and a director who cares about each member of that ensemble. The main storyline involves Monty Brogan (Norton), a drug dealer whose refusal to quit while he’s ahead lands him in custody. Given one last day before heading to the pen, Monty must tie up loose ends and come face-to-face with his bleak future. Yet Lee has never been one to let only one story dominate, and he provides moments with each of his beloved actors that allow the film to breathe outside of the fringes. This intuitive drama is Lee’s best narrative film since 1996’s Get on the Bus. New York City also gives a stellar performance in the first Hollywood film not to shy away from the realities of a post-September 11 perspective. Using images of Ground Zero and memorials of firefighters, Lee puts his characters into the real world to both face its challenges and heal all at once.

--Mekado Murphy