25th Hour

That kind of says it all doesn’t it? I think this review will appeal a bit more to those that have actually seen the movie rather than those that haven’t. There aren’t any spoilers here, but based on the rating I give it, I suggest you go and get it if you haven’t seen it already.

Ok back down to business. As I’m making this format as I go along it might evolve over time. For now I’ll make small heading when I think I have something specific to say about a particular aspect of a movie.

One of the first things I noticed as soon as the credits started rolling was the fact that the screenplay was based on a book, written by the same guy. Now this in effect is a rarity. Most Hollywood scripts seem to be written by 15 people, and they turn out like shit anyway. Wereas this was a book, which got converted into a movie, and the writer got to actually keep complete control. I really like that. Just in case you were wondering the writer in question is called David Benioff. I really thought there was some brilliant lines in there, especially

‘You fat Russian fuck’ ‘Please, fat Ukranian fuck’

I also liked the percentile theory. What’s scary is that I usually come up with shit like that, and that one COMPLETELY passed me by. I’ve got to give that theory some more serious thought to be honest.

I’ve got to say that generally speaking anything Edward Norton is in, usually is pretty fantastic. He’s got a very natural way about him. He doesn’t force his lines, and you actually believe him when he delivers lines. He draws you in completely. I loved the scene in the toilet, the whole, ‘fuck me? No fuck you, and you and you and…’ great scene about how the city life can get to people. I sometimes feel that way living in London as well.

My only beef was with actress Rosario Dawson who play Naturelle. Nice figure, rubbish actress. Eh, the rest of the cast made up for her.

What can I say. He framed it pretty well, and let it breathe when it had to. The colours were very well done, and I did enjoy his cut cameras, where he’d repeat the scene from a different angle a split second later. I guess it’s always a good movie when I don’t notice how long it’s taken. So from an editing point of view Spike did well. Obviously he had to bring the whole basketball thng forward again, which I’m all up for. Seems a staple in all Spike Lee Joints ^_. Oddly enough, this was the star of the movie for me. A bad soundtrack can break a good movie, whereas a good soundtrack can make a good movie great. This is one of those rare times, where the music really hammers all the right emotions at the right time. I’m definitely picking up the soundtrack when I’m in town again.

Rating: 8/10