25th Hour (2002)

25 Hours, Spike Lee, and whatnot... looking for some recommendations, opinions, or advice. Thanks a ton.😕

Honestly, just having Edward Norton involved is enough of a recommendation for me 😉

I started watching it last night. I'll get back to you.

silentmason3 said:I just started watching it last night. I'll catch up with you guys soon.

so what's the deal—what are you actually watching?

Edward Norton is just the man! The pacing is solid, it never drags, and there are a few standout moments I won't spoil here because—well, why ruin the surprise? I also really dig how this feels like the first true New York City movie made after 9/11—there’s this strange, lingering atmosphere hanging over everything, but it avoids falling into that overly sappy, pathetic territory.
The only thing is, the whole thing feels a bit lopsided to me—the entire movie, from start to finish—the ending is basically the only part that actually matters, which makes everything we sat through during those first two hours feel somewhat redundant. JUST MY TWO CENTS! You don't have to agree with me.

I absolutely love Norton, though I haven't actually sat down to watch it yet.
It'll be tomorrow, or maybe the day after...

Edward Norton is such a phenomenal actor that I’ll happily sit through a mediocre movie just to see him on screen—it's worth it alone. Honestly, he hasn't let me down once. I really hope that streak continues even after *The Italian Job*, which, if I recall correctly, wasn't exactly his first choice.

What’s the point of watching on installments?

Unfortunately. I can't stand watching movies in bits and pieces. I still haven't actually sat down to watch it.

Caught this one last night.

Solid flick. 👍

Edward Norton is just top-tier. And that girl—she’s stunning, though I can’t recall her actual name (she plays Naturelle Rivera in the movie). Honestly, the character writing is great across the board, especially that English professor. 😉

What else... I loved that killer monologue he delivers in the back of the coffee shop... 🙏 It’s blunt and brutal, totally skips all that fake political correctness you see cluttering up most American movies lately, especially everything following 9/11. 🙄 Plus, they nailed the vibe of New York City... 🙂 And those scenes at his friend's place, right overlooking the ruins of the Twins stadium? Great stuff. 🙂

Definitely give it a watch! 🙂

silentmason3 said:I started watching it last night. I'll follow up soon.

The thing about going to the cinema is that tickets cost $10 and you currently have $3.25, so you just buy the first thirty minutes of the movie. Once those first thirty minutes are up, you have to get up and leave, otherwise some massive skinhead is going to use your head like a soccer ball!! 😁 🙂 😛 🙂

Have a nice day 🙂

I liked it. That bathroom scene, the whole legal drama surrounding the local laws, the suspicion cast on Naturelle, and that part where he basically asks his friend to beat him up—it all worked. It's worth checking out.

Edward Norton is fantastic. And honestly, she’s stunning too—I can't quite recall her name, though she plays Naturelle Rivera in the movie.

Rosario Dawson. The only non-American in the whole cast, and in a Spike Lee film, no less!

I suppose Ed might actually be the coolest actor out there right now; his presence alone is probably enough reason to give this one a shot. He didn't miss the mark this time either—*25th Hour* is easily one of the best films I've seen all year, and that "forget you" scene in the restaurant restroom is pretty much legendary.
The ending is its own entire experience... but I guess I shouldn't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet.
I’d suggest watching it as soon as possible.

NikaZg said:Edward Norton is recommendation enough 😉

Look, I haven't seen the movie yet, and honestly, I doubt I’ll even bother heading to the cinema for it—I’d probably just wait to watch it at home on VHS or DVD. But if there's one solid reason I actually want to check it out, it's because of Ed Norton.

I don't know about you guys, but I think he's an incredible actor. (I guess there isn't a more precise or professional word than "incredible" to describe him 😁). He just has this presence; he can grab your attention even if he's just standing in the corner being quiet.

He clearly has massive potential, so I just really hope they don't waste it.

The movie was decent, but...👍

One of the better ones this year... It’s smart, simple, and hits just the right amount of sentiment without crossing into pathetic territory...👍

I’ve been scrolling through the replies here, and honestly, after more than ten posts, nobody has actually fixed the one thing that—well, maybe it’s just me—has been bugging the hell out of me: the movie is titled *25th Hour*, not 25 Hours. Okay, now I can finally breathe again.

Anyway, look—the movie is good, but it really doesn't hit its stride until the very end. You spend two hours watching it, and everything only starts to make sense once the credits roll; that's when all those scattered impressions finally click together and everything falls into place.

It’s a solid film. Edward Norton is actually quite impressive (not that I’m much of a fan of his usually), though I have to say, that scene in front of the mirror didn't quite land for me personally—even if the dialogue itself was top-notch.

For the first hour and a half, the pacing feels slow—maybe even a bit too sluggish? But it builds up gradually, and it isn't until the finale that you realize how incredibly powerful this story actually is and how much of an impact it leaves on you.

Regardless, it's definitely worth your time. It's a psychological thriller-drama.

Can anyone give me some insight into the media quality here? I just popped in this DivX file, and honestly, it looks like someone filmed it on a handheld camera inside a movie theater. There’s a ton of digital noise, the picture gets blurry at times, and everything feels a bit shaky. I'm starting to wonder—is this actually poor quality, or was it intentionally shot that way to give it a "documentary" feel?

slyjackal9 said:I’ve been scrolling through these replies, and after ten posts, nobody has bothered to fix what’s clearly bugging me (and probably just me): the movie is titled 25th Hour, not 25 Hours. There, I can finally breathe again.

Anyway, the movie is good, but it doesn't really click until the very end. You spend two hours watching, and it's only when the credits roll that everything settles into place and actually makes sense.

It’s a solid film. Edward Norton is pretty great (not that I'm usually a fan of his), though that mirror scene didn't quite land for me, even if the dialogue was top-notch.

The first ninety minutes feel slow—maybe too slow. It builds gradually, and you only realize at the end how heavy and impactful it actually is.

Regardless, it's worth a watch. A psychological thriller/drama.

Yeah, fair point. My bad on the typo... and I felt the same way about the pacing at the start, but I'm guessing that was intentional.

Edward Norton... I mean, he's a solid actor, and I think he definitely has what it takes to become a great character actor. He actually reminds me a bit of Colin Farrell back when he was younger. Anyway, I'm probably going to put on 25th Hour tonight and give it a watch..

Honestly, I wasn't feeling this movie at all. It just fell way short of what I was hoping for. I’ve been following Spike Lee for a while now, watching his older stuff like Jungle Fever and Do the Right Thing. He’s always been so focused on capturing the Black American experience and tackling racial tension head-on.
He really nailed it back then. Like the American Kusturica, you know?

Look, I think Spike is a great director, but this latest one, "The 25th Hour," feels totally off. The story is just hollow—it fails to actually grab you. There isn't even much of a plot... I spent the whole movie waiting for something, anything, to actually happen, but nope... the whole premise is basically just some guy facing seven years in prison, so the movie follows his final day of freedom. He’s going in for drugs, but the guy doesn't act or look even remotely like a criminal. Plus, the characters all feel so washed out and unconvincing.
Some of the scenes drag on way longer than they need to.
And I just couldn't wrap my head around one specific scene that felt like nothing more than a blatant outburst of hate.
To me, that part was completely unnecessary and just tasteless. I highly doubt there's any deep artistic meaning behind it. It probably just got shoved in the middle of the film so the audience wouldn't accidentally fall asleep.🙂 😕

Sure, the critics were giving it good reviews. But honestly, who actually trusts the critics anymore?
I get that some people liked "The 25th Hour." Not me, though. Not even a little bit. I did some digging online and saw plenty of other people who hated it too. I just expected so much more from Spike, or at least something that felt like the stuff he used to make.