Spike Lee's latest joint a powerhouse

Close to two months from when this film should have been showing at your local theater, Bloomington finally gets Spike Lee's new joint, "25th Hour." And it was worth the wait. \nWitness the story of Monty (Edward Norton), a drug dealer who is caught by the DEA, about to be shipped off to prison for seven years. He has 24 hours of freedom to live before his sentence is carried out. We follow him on his final night on the town with his girl (Rosario Dawson) and two best friends (Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman). Ultimately, "25th Hour" emerges as a story not so much of redemption, but remorse and reflection, subject to the consequences of the path not taken. \nLee's camerawork is dead on. Though nothing revolutionary, it never strays from capturing the viewer's attention and respect, maintaining beauty and poignancy from start to finish. While the plot is intriguing, it's nothing fresh. It's the characters and their dialogue that drive this to achievement, which brings the acting into the limelight.\nThe stellar ensemble cast is near perfection. Norton is at the top of his game, rivaling his glory day performances from "American History X" and "Fight Club." Pepper gives a powerhouse performance as Frank, full of complexity and contradiction. Hoffman is in his usual groove, quiet and misunderstood as an English teacher named Jakob, reminiscent of his P. T. Anderson conceptions, and pulls his own. Dawson gives strong support as the loving yet flawed girlfriend. Also noteworthy are Brian Cox as Monty's guilt-ridden father, and Anna Paquin as the underage nymphet who plays student to Jakob and provides acute temptation toward his disregard of morality.\nOne of the most powerful moments in this cinematic tour de force involves Monty analyzing himself in the mirror. His reflection unleashes a tirade of slanders, blaming his father, ethnicity, denomination, class and even Christ for the depravity of his situation. As he spews one vulgarity after another, he realizes that no one is to blame but himself. That is the point that resonates: only you are responsible for what happens in your life, and furthermore, can you change your path? \nThis film has been unjustly overlooked by the Academy. Lee's film is a riveting, complex masterpiece and a gritty, desperate cry into the void that challenges friendship, loyalty and the future. This all within the span of 24 hours and that fleeting moment that transcends into all that really counts -- tomorrow, the 25th hour.