*** Official "25TH HOUR" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

God, I love this film! I can't wait until I see it again. For all his critics, Spike Lee is definitely an actor's director. There are reasons why several of today's actors want to work with him which is why I'm glad he's increasing the number of subject matters in his films.





Crawdaddy

 

[Robert Crawford]

The final shot of them driving north, parallel to the Hudson River is not ambiguous to me as to what decision Monty made.

 

[Patrick Sun]

As with most Spike Lee films, audience reaction tends to be strongly delineated one way or another. I share many of Damin's reactions to this film.

 

[Brook K]

Exactly Robert. The ending isn't ambiguous. If you know the geography of the area, you know where they are headed.

I would disagree with almost all of Damin's conclusions. This is not simply a film about "a low-level drug dealer going off to serve seven years". It is about many, many things. Friendship being the most important for me, and also it's portraits of NYC and America itself.

And Spike isn't "trying to hard to be a NYC director". Spike IS a New York City director. Always has been.

 

[Bill J]

If you know the geography of the area, you know where they are headed.

I'm not real familiar with NYC geography, but I assumed they were headed for prison. Is that correct?

 

[Robert Crawford]

That is correct!

 

[Patrick Sun]

"Friends don't let friends deal drugs."
Anyone else get a flashback to Fight Club when Monty was asking/begging for a beating?
I also hated the music score in many of the scenes in the film.
I didn't enjoy Tony Siragusa's Kostya performance, it was not the most convincing Russian/Ukranian accent I've heard.
The ending wasn't all that ambiguous to me (and my knowledge of the geography of NYC is miniscule). Monty had a daydream based on his father's words while riding in the wagoneer. It's sort of a cheap way to give a feel-good ending that isn't all that feel-good since Monty made the choice to do his time. In that respect it felt like the ending in Minority Report.
I suppose I didn't find any of the main characters all that sympathetic enough to care for their fate. A life of crime that saddles Jacob with taking care of Monty's dog (Doyle) and a potential dismissal from his job if Mary ratted him out, and saddles Frank with memories of having to beat his "best" friend to a pulp at Monty's behest.
I cringed during the "Fuck You" scene. It's that moment where I got taken out of the film because it just felt up Spike Lee turned to the 4th wall and just started on this diatribe, and then finally the scene was over, and I had no pity for the guy, Monty. Frank's indignation over Monty's occupation was right on (when he was "non-drunk" and talking to Naturelle at the club). Sure, Monty's angry over getting pinched, and his whole "Fuck You" scene showed how brazenly misplaced that anger was, perhaps it was to show how much in denial Monty was one day before going into the slammer, but when the film just stopped in its track and loses all momentum for me with that scene, I guess as a movie viewer, there are 2 paths: stick with it, or veer off. Perhaps I stuck with it, but after getting all beat up by Spike/Monty's diatribe, maybe I was better veering off.

 

[Michael Reuben]

because it just felt up Spike Lee turned to the 4th wall and just started on this diatribe

Why do you assume that it's Spike Lee's "diatribe"? He didn't write the script or the novel (which also contains this scene).

M.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Patrick,
Surprise, I disagree with several of your points about this film among them the following:

I thought this was one of the best film soundtracks I've heard in a long time.

Also, it seems even in 2003, that Spike Lee is judged as a filmmaker on a different plane motive-wise than most directors.



Crawdaddy

 

[Patrick Sun]

The diatribe has the same feel of Spike Lee material from his past films. Sure, it's laced with realistic utterances, but it felt like material he's already mined before. Even if it's stuff that was in the book (which I have not read), it's doesn't feel out of place of a Spike Lee joint (meaning I've come to expect such dialogue from his films), but I cringed anyway. I don't think any of us see films in a vacuum, and I won't apologize if I ascribe directorial baggage from previous works into the current projects of high profile directors, and I don't think it has anything to do with the year being 2003.

BTW, I think it's a good film, just not a great film (as many of the critics have touted). The unevenness or the meandering focus of the story amongst its core characters just don't come together well enough to call it a great film.

 

[Damin J Toell]

I would disagree with almost all of Damin's conclusions.

DJ

 

[Robert Crawford]

Patrick,
My original comment about Lee being judged differently than other directors is an opinion not specifically meant for you, but for general consumption. That said, nobody asked for an apology regarding your point of view and my point about 2003 is in regard to comparing Lee's current work as a mature director versus his earlier films as a young director.




Crawdaddy

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Monty had a daydream based on his father's words while riding in the wagoneer. It's sort of a cheap way to give a feel-good ending that isn't all that feel-good since Monty made the choice to do his time.

Why would you categorize this as a cheap ending when you clearly see that it is not meant to be feel good? It's about Monty's impossible life, as it is about his previous choices. This is a man who has thrown away his life, and deeply regretting the consequences (if not more).

 

[Patrick Sun]

The entire daydream is intended to get the audience to feel upbeat as to the possibilities if Monty would only run and run far away and make a new start for himself. It is only with a scant shot of Monty still battered, riding in his father's car that we know he was just daydreaming.

I don't think you need this daydream sequence because by now (in the film) the audience gets it, Monty screwed up big time and now he's going to the big house for dealing drugs and living high and mighty off other people's misery/addiction.

If the daydream sequence isn't there, the film ends 5 minutes earlier, and the film ends on a down note. Pop in the daydream sequence, and you yank the audience's chain, set them up with a happy-happy bit of a new life for Monty, and then as his "new" character arc is over, you snap back into reality and Monty's heading towards prison, and roll the credits. The end result, the audience has a sense of euphoria and just a little bit of let down. In essence, it's a "psyche out" ending by Spike and the screenwriter. Was it that important to show what he gave up by living a life as a dealer and getting caught? We already know this fantasy life, all that's missing is a Norman Rockwell painting of Monty shooting hoops with his daughter.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Was it that important to show what he gave up by living a life as a dealer and getting caught?

Most of the film is about saying goodbye to the past. In the daydream, he says goodbye to the future, too.

DJ

 

[Robert Crawford]

Patrick,
Unlike you, the ending worked very well for me.





Crawdaddy

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I also interpreted the daydream sequence as one of missed opportunity that ended the film on a downbeat and sad note. It could not have been more appropriate.

~Edwin

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

I found the ending sequence narrated by Brian Cox to be the best part of the film. Exhilirating filmmaking.

 

[Michael Reuben]

The daydream in the car is a bookend to the mirror sequence. Both take you inside Monty Brogan's head, while the filmmaking externalizes his thoughts into imagery. In that sense, I don't think Minority Report is an apt comparison, since that ending is one that presents itself as reality and becomes questionable only upon reflection. Besides, Monty's thoughts aren't a dream; they're a meditation on a road not taken. A closer antecedent, though with one obviously different themes, would be The Last Temptation of Christ.

M.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I'm glad I wasn't the only who thought of "The Last Temptation of Christ" as to the parallels with the ending sequence for Monty's car ride.

w/r/t to Minority Report, I contend that the "keeper" tells the audience "what's up" but it's subtle how Spielbergs plays close to the vest with that ending sequence. Both are "what could have been's" for both men whose lives are basically at a dead end.