25th Hour is a film directed by Spike Lee and was released in 2002, 18 months after the 9/11 attacks in New York. The reason I mention this is because 9/11 is mentioned a few times and it helps get a graspe on the timeline the characters are living in.

Edward Norton plays Monty Brogan, a drug dealing man with ties to the Russian mob. Out of nowhere, he is arrested and sentenced to 7 years in prison. The film shows key flashbacks in Monty's life, leading up to the present day. There's a scene where he's talking to himself in the bathroom about the things he hates and simply put, it is beyond me on why he wasn't nominated for the Academy Award. He gives his best performance I think.

Supporting players include Barry Pepper's Frank, a "Gordan Gekko looking fuck" and Jake, a perverted school teacher played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Adding to the cast is Rosario Dawson playing Monty's girlfriend Naturelle.

There are many things I could say about the film and how important of a film it is; I'm sure you can gather that. The film is one of the best films of the deacade it was created in. It is an unknown gem that needs to he discovered. My first Spike Lee joint was a success.