25th Hour

25th Hour is such a small film, and yet it’s so big! From every minute you can feel the intellectual charge and the director’s commitment and goal. The actors are fantastic, and Barry Pepper in particular is very surprising. The psychological tension in the dialogue could crush an elephant. It’s easy not to give this excellent, distinctive film a full five-star rating, but it’s impossible to reasonably justify why it doesn’t deserve one. (10/04/2003)

I admire the enthusiasm and courage with which Spike Lee took on such an unassuming premise, and I admire the resulting film, which certainly has something to say, first with the precise and sensitive direction, which brilliantly develops the characters and builds up strongly at the end, and also thanks to the excellent cast led by Norton and Hoffman, whose immense talents are literally palpable in every frame. I needed a bit of time to finally get to grips with the film, but in the end its depth of thought and truly great script enveloped me as strongly as if I were the one about to face seven years in prison hell. And that’s a kind of feeling that won’t easily fade from my memory. (13/11/2012)

Spike Lee can have whatever opinions he wants, and you don't have to agree with them, but you have to admit he has a sense for storytelling, for characters, and that he's capable of using forms that fit the story. Even in 25th Hour, he chooses scenes that are sometimes very specific, and almost artistic, but they manage to enhance the impression that the story is creating. A successful film about one human fate. (08/09/2016)

I was waiting for the rough journey of a condemned dealer to seek justice and clear his name, and Spike Lee instead gave me a sad farewell to a slightly desperate existence. In the end, I was disappointedly bored for over a hundred minutes, only for an amazing finish to reveal itself, leaving a significantly better taste than the film perhaps deserves. (01/10/2006)

A pure non-action film where you'll still find dialogues that keep you on edge like a taut string. It has one of the best scripts I've ever seen. There are no absurdities here; the conversations make sense, and the film overall feels surprisingly solid. Spike Lee has a unique style; his film Inside Man wasn’t just a stereotypical bank heist but a clever drama. 25th Hour boasts a simple yet purposeful plot. Why go for complex plot twists when you can make a straightforward film? I appreciate the effort of all the actors to play their roles in a down-to-earth manner; their verbal arguments and confrontations are believable, and at times, you might even think you’re watching a documentary. It would be a mistake to praise only Norton, as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper and Brian Cox also excelled in their roles. The film feels like a cake, with Norton providing the flawless base, while the others add the frosting, filling, and all the small details. The final result is worth it—a true masterpiece. And the ending, wow... I admit, it emotionally knocked me out. I give it 90%. (14/09/2018)