MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (8/27-29/14): THE NOVEMBER MAN
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| "Forget that BMW, girl ... We'll just catch an Uber to get away from the bad guys!" Peter Devereaux (Pierce Brosnan) helps Alice Fournier (Olga Kurylenko) flee after saving her life from a would-be assassin in a scene from Roger Donaldson's action thriller THE NOVEMBER MAN. CREDIT: Aleksandar Letic. © 2014 No Spies, LLC. All Rights Reserved. |
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Pierce Brosnan, Olga Kurylenko, Luke Bracey, Bill Smitrovich, Amila Terzimehic, Lazar Ristovski, Eliza Taylor, Caterina Scorsone, Will Patton, Patrick Kennedy and Mediha Musilovic
WRITER(S): Michael Finch and Karl Gadjusek (screenplay); Bill Granger (novel There Are No Spies on which the film is based)
DIRECTOR(S): Roger Donaldson
WEB SITE: http://www.thenovemberman.com/60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS (OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS ONE CAN TRY TO MAKE): Peter Devereaux (Pierce Brosnan) is a former CIA operative living in Switzerland five years after his retirement. And he's enjoying it quite nicely since there is no fatality bothering him like it was on his last mission.
Then his old boss Hanley (Bill Smitrovich) comes calling, asking Peter to rescue Natalia (Mediha Musilovic), an operative in very deep with Arkady Federov (Lazar Ristovski), a former Russian general who may become the country's next president. Natalia has intel about Federov that might serve to bring him down to his knees – and that intel leads him to a social worker by the name of Alice Fournier (Olga Kurylenko).
Alice is set to meet with Edgar Simpson (Patrick Kennedy), a writer for The New York Times who is working on an article about Federov. Before that can happen, however, Alexa (Amila Terzimehic) – an assassin out to tie up loose ends on Federov's behalf – attacks. Now protecting Alice, Peter realizes that as long as Alice is alive, there will be someone trying to kill her – and now him – at every turn.
And that includes Mason (Luke Bracey), the CIA agent who was once Peter's protege at the CIA upon the time of his retirement.
So, what is Peter going to do with a Russian general's assassin, his former protege and the entire CIA after him and Alice? What he does best ... Living up to his nickname as "The November Man."
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Pierce Brosnan fans, spy movie fans, fans of international crime capers
WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: People who like a bit more action in their action movies, people who pick apart plot holes in action movies, those who want a more distinctive feel to their spy epics
FINAL VERDICT – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? The November Man is better than it is not, but there's just something about it that lacks the vibe of anything distinct to make it stand out once you leave the theater.
To his credit, Brosnan is a bit grittier than you're used to seeing him in The November Man as his Peter Devereaux has a bit of an edge to him while never giving off any indication that he doesn't have the right thing to do in mind. Likewise, Bracey is serviceable as Mason, the jilted former protege looking to now prove himself once he's thrust onto the trail of his ex-mentor. And for her part, Kurylenko is competent as Alice, a woman-with-a-major-secret who isn't given that much to do until the film's final act. Really, as a whole, The November Man does its job well, serving up some decent action sequences, twists and turns to keep things moving along to provide an entertaining ride.
Unfortunately, it lacks a distinct trait to make it ultimately memorable for while it's not quite a paint-by-numbers affair, it's definitely closer to being one that you would hope.
What The November Man has in dedicated performances is undercut by a too over-the-top, sneering performance by Smitrovich straight out of an 80s action film and a limited use of characters like Terzimehic's that could have been greater supporting player. The biggest thing that keeps The November Man from being better (save for a slightly somewhat easy to figure out couple of key story reveals) is director Roger Donaldson's lack of a distinct feel for the film. Devereaux isn't Jason Bourne or James Bond (no pun intended), the Russian/CIA connection plot device isn't exactly that fresh and the former protege vs. mentor angle isn't exactly taken to a new level.
In other words, the film as a whole is solid ... But it's not memorable despite a stage that was set up well for it to be. Brosnan is cool and collected enough to do the job ... But the job as a whole isn't one that is that great to have. You'll likely enjoy yourself watching The November Man (no, I'm not going to explain why that is a terrible title; you'll have to see the film for that), but you won't feel like you've missed out on anything if you don't.
Even if you wait to catch it this November at a second run theater near you.
WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: People who like a bit more action in their action movies, people who pick apart plot holes in action movies, those who want a more distinctive feel to their spy epics
FINAL VERDICT – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? The November Man is better than it is not, but there's just something about it that lacks the vibe of anything distinct to make it stand out once you leave the theater.
To his credit, Brosnan is a bit grittier than you're used to seeing him in The November Man as his Peter Devereaux has a bit of an edge to him while never giving off any indication that he doesn't have the right thing to do in mind. Likewise, Bracey is serviceable as Mason, the jilted former protege looking to now prove himself once he's thrust onto the trail of his ex-mentor. And for her part, Kurylenko is competent as Alice, a woman-with-a-major-secret who isn't given that much to do until the film's final act. Really, as a whole, The November Man does its job well, serving up some decent action sequences, twists and turns to keep things moving along to provide an entertaining ride.
Unfortunately, it lacks a distinct trait to make it ultimately memorable for while it's not quite a paint-by-numbers affair, it's definitely closer to being one that you would hope.
What The November Man has in dedicated performances is undercut by a too over-the-top, sneering performance by Smitrovich straight out of an 80s action film and a limited use of characters like Terzimehic's that could have been greater supporting player. The biggest thing that keeps The November Man from being better (save for a slightly somewhat easy to figure out couple of key story reveals) is director Roger Donaldson's lack of a distinct feel for the film. Devereaux isn't Jason Bourne or James Bond (no pun intended), the Russian/CIA connection plot device isn't exactly that fresh and the former protege vs. mentor angle isn't exactly taken to a new level.
In other words, the film as a whole is solid ... But it's not memorable despite a stage that was set up well for it to be. Brosnan is cool and collected enough to do the job ... But the job as a whole isn't one that is that great to have. You'll likely enjoy yourself watching The November Man (no, I'm not going to explain why that is a terrible title; you'll have to see the film for that), but you won't feel like you've missed out on anything if you don't.
Even if you wait to catch it this November at a second run theater near you.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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