Agent Flood: You don't read the papers much, do you smart guy? We've a wonderful thing called the Rockefeller laws. Let me educate you. You had a kilo in your sofa. That kind of weight makes it an A1 felony. 15 years to life minimum for a first offense. Now with that much spread in the sentencing guidelines, the judges take their cues from the prosecutors. So if the prosecutors wife busted his chops that morning, you're fucked. You're gone for good. If you get lucky? Really lucky? And let's say he got some good trim the night before. Maybe he'll plea you off to an A2. But that's still 3 to 8 for first time, minimum. How much of that stretch you pull is all up to the mood of the prosecutor. And he's gonna ask us, "Did he play ball?" So, why don't you tell us about your friend, Nikolai? Let us make it easy on you.
Monty Brogan: [to Agent Cunningham] Can I ask you one question?
Agent Cunningham: Sure.
Monty Brogan: When you have your dick in his mouth, does he just keep talking like that? Cause it seems to me he just never shuts up. I'm just curious does that get annoying? You know, you're fucking a guy in the mouth and he just won't shut up?
One could borrow a few lines from Monty while dealing with stupid people, say for example, in an exit interview? Just kidding :) Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is about to spend the last 24 hours of his freedom before going away to serve a 7-year sentence in prison for drug-dealing. He wants to spend those last few hours with his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), his dad (Brian Cox), and his two best friends, Slaughtery (Barry Pepper) and Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
When Monty is with his girlfriend at home, the DEA pays a visit and it seems they already had the information about where he stacks the drugs and his illegally-earned money. While Naturelle looks uncomfortable during the whole scene at his place, Monty starts suspecting if she could have blown his cover. As much as he doesn't want to believe it, his friends, including Slaughtery, also suggest the same. While trying to seem unruffled by the events that have led him up to then, he excuses himself from a conversation with his dad and what follows is an epic monologue -
Knowing the kind of trouble someone with boyish looks can face in a prison, Monty asks his best friend Slaughtery for one last favor.
The opening scene of the movie where we see Monty helping an injured stray dog and his friend mistakenly suggesting "Doyle's laws" when he actually means "Murphy's laws" sets the path for the movie - Anything that can go wrong, will. The movie shows us about the various reactions that we go through when something bad happens to us - anger, blame and finally acceptance of our fate. It's a brilliant study on the inevitability of life's fuck-ups and the effect it has on one's view of the world around him and his relationships. The scene where we see both Jacob and Slaughtery discussing what's in store for Monty and how it would finally affect their long-standing friendship shows the harsh truth. At the same time, the movie ends without making a definitive statement on Monty's fate and leaves it with a glimmer of hope depending on the choices Monty would make.
Rating: 7.5/10
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