This is a new column that I am putting up on a week-to-week basis. Basically, I want to focus on some more obscure and underrated films that the general public may not know about and needs to see. Not all of these films I plan on recommending are perfect, but they all have something special about them that I think people should recognize. My analysis of these films will contain some plot and character description, but no major spoilers or anything like that. After all, I'm trying to sell the movie to you, the reader. My second recommendation is one of the first major films to be made in New York City after the 9/11 terrorist attacks: 25th Hour.
“I have been in three different prisons, Montgomery. Three different countries. And you know what I learned? Prison is a bad place to be.”- Uncle Nikolai, 25th Hour
I’m not usually a big fan of Spike Lee as a director or a human being. The guy’s personality tends to get on my nerves fairly quickly. He’s existentially an egomaniac (he even sued Spike TV for “stealing” his name… um, what?). I also truly get the feeling that he simply just hates white people. He directs racially fueled films with a sledgehammer and, unlike Oliver Stone who also is heavy hitting with his direction (though in a much different way), they are usually not that enjoyable to watch. However, with all that said, 25th Hour is not only his best film that I’ve watched but it’s pretty good film in general.
Based on the novel by David Benioff, 25th Hour tells the story of Montgomery Brogan (Edward Norton) and his last day of freedom before being locked away for seven-years in prison for drug dealing. This last day of freedom is set against a post-9/11 New York City backdrop, paralleling the city’s own sense of grieving and rebuilding with Monty’s own sense of loss and need to rebuild his life before going away. Benioff’s script (yes, thankfully Spike didn’t write the treatment) cleverly parallels the two subjects and manages to make a very relevant and vastly unique film about the effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks while telling his own story of loss and redemption. Terence Blanchard’s mournful and somber score really helps to set the tone and amplify this aspect of the film. I wasn’t very aware of this facet of the film upon my first viewing so I was quite surprised to see the quite beautiful opening credit sequence that starts off right in the beam of light tribute from the heart of Ground Zero. You can watch that sequence here.
I really enjoyed how New York City was treated as a character in the film. Along with the use of Ground Zero and its symbolism towards what is going on with the character of Monty, the entire city is made to play into his story. From the very beginning of his last day, he is seen just walking around the city, soaking it up for the very last time. At times, it seems like Monty despises the city and partially blames it for his fall into drug dealing, as seen in the now infamous “Love Letter to New York City" sequence (I’ll get more into this later on). However, by the end of the film, it becomes obvious that Monty is in love with his city, its huge variety of people, and the things that it stands for. This can be seen in the beautiful and somewhat surreal car ride he takes, passing by each of the city’s various inhabitants, who all smile and wave at him as he goes along.
Moving back a little bit to the main storyline, 25th Hour is very unusual film because seemingly nothing really happens. Monty simply spends his last day with his girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), meets up with his father (Brian Cox), and goes out with his two best friends Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Frank (Barry Pepper). Despite the very anti-Hollywood story structure, there is actually a lot going on in this movie. Monty spends most of his day trying to figure out who sold him out to the police, worrying that it could have even been his girlfriend. He also is struggling with the fact that he needs to reconnect with his somewhat estranged father. Lastly, he is coming to the realization that he won’t last in prison and that he is going to be raped multiple times. Monty’s friends also have their own problems to deal with. Jacob, a teacher at a local high school, deals with his loneliness and his lustful feelings towards an outgoing and flirtatious student named Mary (Anna Paquin). Frank, on the other hand, is dealing his feelings of disgust for Monty and what he did along with his own lustful and distrustful feelings towards Naturelle. As one can see, there is a lot of drama taking place within the film, though it may not seem so at first glance.
As one can probably tell, 25th Hour is an ensemble piece of the strongest kind. The cast for this movie is simply incredible. Edward Norton is perfect as Monty and he manages to make the character very empathetic despite his former illegal tendencies. He really holds the piece together quite well. I really enjoyed Philip Seymour Hoffman as Jacob Elinsky, the teacher with the troubled conscience over whether or not he should make a move on his student. He plays the character very vulnerably and you never really feel like the character’s a pervert or a bad person. He just feels like he gets put in the wrong situations and he doesn’t know how to deal with them. I usually enjoy Hoffman in every film he’s in and this is no exception. I also loved Barry Pepper as Wall Street yuppie Frank Slaughtery. His character is very full of himself and cocky but also has his own hidden demons to deal with. It’s really a fun portrayal to see unfold. Rosario Dawson is also good as Naturelle, Monty’s girlfriend who is trying to get used to the fact that her man is going away for seven years along with trying to find out why he is being so distant on his last day. Anna Paquin is great as the flirtatious and manipulative student that may or may not be interested in getting into a relationship with her teacher. Lastly, Brain Cox does a great job as a father who is trying his best to make things right with his son before he loses him to prison.
Despite my dislike for his type of films, Spike Lee does a really good job with directing this film. He keeps his usual racial themes down (thankfully) and really focuses on his actors, getting some truly great performances out of them all. He also shows some unique directorial touches, especially in a scene between Jacob and Mary in a nightclub. After a confrontation of sorts between the two, he places Philip Seymour Hoffman on the dolly with the camera, having him seemingly float across the ground. The look on his face is priceless and, with the sequence set to “Bra” by Cymande, it’s all just really good filmmaking. Another sequence where Spike’s direction really stands out is the now infamous “Love Letter to New York City” sequence. In this scene, Monty goes into the bathroom of a restaurant and sees the words “f*ck you” written on the edge of a mirror. Seeing the words, he begins to go on a rant, saying the same hateful words to every ethnic and racial group in New York City. By the end of the rant in which he condemns the entire city itself, he realizes that he doesn’t hate the city but only himself. The way the sequence is shot is very unique and stylized. It has a strange kind of humor to it as well as the underlying seriousness of Monty’s guilt and self-hatred. You can see the whole thing here if you like.
On the downside of things, there are a lot of times where the movie doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. However, this feeling doesn’t usually last that long and things start to get a little more focused in nature. Also, there is one point where the movie looks like it’s going in one direction that I would have been very unhappy with. However, it turns out to be a fake out and I’m glad for that. The sequence itself is very beautifully filmed, with some spectacular cinematography from Rodrigo Prieto (who also did some amazing work on 21 Grams). If the film had actually gone in this direction, I feel like it really would have cheapened the overall story and its purpose. Other than this, there are not any big problems that I have with the film.
Overall, 25th Hour is a very well made film about a man’s last day of freedom and how he tries to set things right the best he can. It is very cleverly set against a backdrop of post-9/11 New York City and this helps to parallel and add to Monty’s own story. The acting, direction, writing, cinematography, and music are all outstanding. It’s a movie that really makes you question yourself and what you would do if you were in Monty’s shoes. It will also make you more grateful for the freedom you have and the place that you are from. If you haven’t seen this movie, you should check it out. It’s often overlooked and that’s a shame. It’s not only Spike Lee’s best film but it’s a great film period.
“And maybe one day, years from now, long after I'm dead and gone, reunited with your dear mother, you gather your whole family together and tell them the truth, who you are, where you come from. You tell them the whole story. And then you ask them if they know how lucky they are to be there.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment