25th Hour

A handsome, well-to-do, young Manhattan drug dealer (Edward Norton) spends his last free night before seven years of prison with two lifelong friends, an arrogant Wall Street cowboy (Barry Pepper) and an anxious, clammy, unstrung schoolteacher (Philip Seymour Hoffman), in director Spike Lee's film--based on David Benioff's novel--that turns the story into a momentous metaphor for the strength, fortitude and resiliency of post-9/11 New York City. Although talented Rosario Dawson (Men in Black II) gets little chance to explore her character as the girlfriend, the others are complex and vividly drawn--especially Norton, who the audience comes to understand through his conflicted relationships with these friends. More conventional than any Spike Lee film preceding it, 25th Hour's intrinsic understanding of its characters' souls and psyches nevertheless provides exactly the kind of impact one expects from this dexterous and discerning director. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentaries by director Spike Lee and by writer David Benioff, the 22-minute “The Evolution of an American Filmmaker” featurette on Lee's expertise, six deleted scenes (10 min.), and a five-minute “Ground Zero” tribute featurette. Bottom line: A solid extras package for one of Lee's better recent efforts.] (R. Blackwelder)