Director of the Month: Spike Lee
The great Spike Lee’s most underrated film, 25th Hour finds Academy Award-nominee Edward Norton leading an amazing all-star cast in this critically acclaimed film, recognized for its compassionate view of post-9/11 New York City. In 24 short hours, Monty Brogan (Norton) goes to prison for a seven-year bid. Once a king of Manhattan, Monty is about to say goodbye to the life he knew, a life that opened doors to New York’s swankiest clubs but also alienated him from the people closest to him. In his last day on the outside, Monty tries to reconnect with his father (Brian Cox), and gets together with two old friends, Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Slaughtery (Barry Pepper). And then there’s his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), who might (or might not) have been the one who tipped off the cops. Monty’s not sure of much these days, but with time running out, there are choices to be made as he struggles to redeem himself in the 25th hour. Every actor listed here does top-notch work. David Benioff (Game of Thrones) wrote the script, adapted from his novel.