Friday, September 5, 2014

THE NOVEMBER MAN


 Espionage thriller

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Pierce Brosnan: CIA agent Peter Devereaux
Luke Bracey: his protegé David Mason
Bill Smitrovich: Peter’s former CIA boss John Hanley
Olga Kurylenko: valuable witness Mila Filapova
and lots of others

REVIEW
At the risk of giving away anything, this film could easily become the text book example of spy clichés for any up-and-coming movie producer since it includes the following:
  • Former CIA agent lured out of retirement
  • Suspicious mole in the agency
  • Beautiful, intelligent heroine
  • Shoot-outs
  • Car chases through busy city streets
  • Hand-to-hand fight scenes
  • Huge explosion behind the unflinching hero
  • Unscrupulous and evil high-ranking antagonist
  • Convoluted, confusing and completely unfathomable
But for all that it lacks the basic premise of any good movie: a well told story. Characters are not well fleshed out so we’re left to try and figure out who is doing what to whom and why? And there are far too many side stories including several explicit scenes of gratuitous sex. 

CLASSIFICATION
for strong violence including a sexual assault, language, sexuality/nudity and drug use.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
When Peter is talking with John his watch shows it to be 4:25 when they sit down. After just five minutes or so they are about to depart and his watch is now 4:55.

P.S.
Even the title is confusing and makes no sense. Apparently it refers to Peter’s nickname when he was an active CIA agent because "when he blew through nothing lived." Really now, is that what November is all about?