The November Man

Talk about a film locking down the right actor for the job...

Pierce Brosnan is back in form as many of us fondly remember him: a suave spy.

The November Man should immediately have your attention by that token alone. It's been a while since audiences got a Bond movie, even if it was one of the best films of an amazing 2012, and even longer since we've seen Brosnan being a baddass (because Mamma Mia! doesn't really count).

If we look past the surface of the intriguing title and central star power, we can see that the film looks incredibly generic with regards to the spy/thriller genre. Even the poster is almost a direct rip off of a Brosnan-era Bond film or game art cover, complete with determined scowl, scantily clad women, and a gun.

Walking into the theater, I knew that this film was going to be one, giant copycat of spy clichés. But I was excited nonetheless because the spy genre is one of my favorites, I've missed Brosnan in this type of film, and, if we are being honest, sometimes a heavily clichéd film can turn out incredibly strong.

So...could Brosnan's swagger help elevate this film from being just a forgettable time at the theater to a fun, solid little spy tale?

"Gotta remember to never eat Mexican food again..."
Walking away from an explosion? Cliché: check!

"Did somebody order a sexy female?"
Cliché: check!

The November Man is just as clichéd as I expected, right down to the Russian/American conspiracy subplot, the ethical nature of government decisions, the action, the characters, etc. To be honest, this wasn't really The November Man's problem. The story sometimes doesn't play out logically, but then again, what spy film really does all the way through? I found the action, while it's about as generic as they come, to be well filmed and full of nostalgia with Brosnan on-screen. The plot itself is over complicated, as is the case with most of these films, and it tries to shock you and make you sympathize rather unsuccessfully. This is mainly because, other than Brosnan's Devereaux (that name!), the rest of the characters fall utterly, completely flat. This is due to a piss poor script that even Brosnan has a hard time with but that destroys most other players in the game. Olga Kurylenko is pretty much her exact character from Quantum of Solace here, for better or worse, and acts as little more than window dressing for the violence and plot progression (although she does play a key role in the overall story). Her and Brosnan have almost no chemistry, which is good since their characters were never romantic, and I actually respect the filmmakers for skipping over that cliché.

Throughout the film, as Devereaux and Alice (Kurylenko) try to solve the Russian/American conspiracy, they are hunted by Devereaux's old protégé, Mason, played by Luke Bracey. It's a rather interesting angle to the story, as well as an additional chess piece, but I felt like Mason was there for no purpose other than to be another cliché (won't ruin any plot points but you can see his actions coming from a mile away). Not to mention that Bracey is either A) a terrible actor or B) the script really was that bad. His line deliverance was so stiff and, at times, monotone, that it was actually awkward on more than one occasion. I thought to myself, "Was the cue card too far away to read that time?" whenever he stuttered. His lack of skill really yanked me right from the small grasp the film had on me.

Not gonna lie, when I look at this photo, with the spray of the wood,
it looks like this dude just got shot straight through the stomach.
Dodging bullets? Cliché: check!

Brosnan does deliver though, even if this is a far cry from his best spy outing. All the swagger, confidence, and suaveness comes rushing back and you'd be forgiven if you felt yourself transported back a decade or more. His age doesn't seem to come into play that much and his character is immediately established as a badass. I was also surprised by the darker side to his character, one that is almost villainous. There is a scene in particular where he plays the "villain" VERY well and it's a side we have almost never seen from him. Those clamoring for a Brosnan villain in a Craig-era Bond film might really be on to something. Can you imagine how awesome that would be? After seeing The November Man I'm confident he could own the role and have fun with it.

Playing Russian Roulette?
Cliché: check!

One big issue I had with The November Man, which may surprise some of you, was not its R-rating per say, but more so its violence. It's not incredibly gory nor are there more bodies that pile up than really any other spy thriller. But it's the people doing the dying. There are a couple civilian deaths, but even stranger were the deaths of agents within the agencies. A couple of times, the "good guys" make specific decisions, and instead on incapacitating their fellow agents, people who they have been working with the entire film, they headshot them for really no good reason. Mind you these aren't main characters, but I found it strange that someone who works faithfully for the C.I.A. would just pop several of his fellow operatives, who did nothing wrong, right in the head. Maybe I'll be the only one that notices that...

The November Man is another example of a film that is over-bashed by the critics. It's not really anywhere in the vicinity of bad, it's just incredibly average and full of clichés. Sometimes in this genre, that works, if you have everything else locked down. The November Man does not.

It's a decent diversion at the theaters, especially to see Brosnan be a spy again, but at 1 hour and 48 minutes, it overstays its welcome and will pretty much just make you wish you watched Goldeneye to feed your craving.

Here's to counting down the days until we get Bond 24!

CONS:

• The violence is part of the genre, but here it seems like they just have no regard for life at all. It's hard to put in words, but it's one of the few films where it was starting to wear on me
• Checks off almost every cliché in the book
• The action is average and unimaginative
• Overlong thanks to an unnecessarily complicated plot with too many players
• Luke Bracey's acting
• The script is often pretty terrible

PROS:

• Brosnan does his best and ultimately is the movie's saving grace. His performance exudes nostalgia and it's fun to see him take out the R-rated spy movie for a spin. One scene in particular proves that he could be an awesome villain in a future Bond film (make it happen Hollywood!)
• While the action is unimaginative, it's well shot
• Decent original score, although, it too is clichéd
• Certain aspects of the plot work better than others

Rath's Review Score: 5.5/10