The November Man

I'm sure anyone who has ever watched a spy movie or read a novel about them is going to feel like they've seen The November Man before.  It's one of those movies that seems to be made from the bits and pieces of other films.  But, most importantly, it's energetic and kind of exciting in an escapist sort of way.  Now, if the movie had been overly familiar AND boring, that would be a reason to pan it.  This movie is never boring.

A big part of the appeal is the lead performance by Pierce Brosnan.  He's playing a different kind of spy than the James Bond-type he's famous for.  Here, Brosnan is cold and ruthless, the type who is willing to shoot first and ask questions later.  Much like Liam Neeson in his action films, he gives off a vibe of a man who has sort of seen it all, and has nothing to lose.  It's fun to watch Brosnan tackle this kind of role, away from the quips and gadgets he's famous for.  Besides the lead performance, this is a well done production, with some genuinely exciting fights and chase scenes.  Sure, they sometimes push the limits of credibility (a character gets smacked in the head with a steel pipe, and gets back up again), but they're shot well, and staged in such a way that we get involved in the action.

Brosnan is Peter Devereaux, a former agent for the CIA who retired after a mission with his young partner (Luke Bracey) went bad.  After this small bit of background is set up in an opening flashback, the story pretty much jumps right in, with Peter being approached by his old boss.  Peter's skills are needed once again, this time to help someone escape from Russia who has some information that would be very bad for a powerful man who is planning a political run in Russia, and is willing to silence anyone who tries to get that information out there.  The person needing to escape has a personal connection with Devereaux, so he takes the job, only to find himself almost immediately in over his head.  As is to be expected, and without giving too much away, the CIA has their hands in the plot somehow, with somebody inside not wanting the information to leak out, as it could damage the US government.  There's lots of double crosses, lots of American and Russian agents shooting at one another, and a cold assassin walking about working on her own deadly agenda.

The November Man has a complicated plot, but like I said, it's nothing you haven't seen before.  And even though it's fairly complex, it's easy enough to follow without getting lost.  Really, the fun for me was not so much following the plot, but seeing Brosnan obviously having a blast playing this ruthless spy/assassin, who only becomes more enraged as the mission becomes more and more personal.  He does a good job of conveying a cold demeanor to his character, and frequently proves he's not below anything to get to the truth, even when he has to harm an innocent woman in once scene.  The movie is R-rated, and rightly so.  The fights and violence are shot in such a way that we actually wince when people are hurt.  Isn't it amazing how used we are to violence in movies these days?  We can sit through a movie with a huge body count, and nobody in the audience really bats an eye.

Not so, here.  I have not read the series of books by Bill Granger that the film is based on, but the movie has a certain harsh realness that is missing from so many action films, which I appreciated here.  When we see Devereaux knock a bad guy off a ledge, and the thug goes falling to his death, smashing against a marble floor, we feel the impact.  It's been a long time since I've felt something while watching faceless extras getting picked off by the hero, and it kind of felt good.  I appreciated that the movie went the extra mile to give its violence somewhat of an impact.  This is a very cold and unemotional thriller in a lot of ways, and while it does work in its favor often, I did kind of wish that there was more of an impact with the characters who are supposed to be important to Peter.  It would have helped add a bit more emotion, other than brutality.

Still, this is an expertly made thriller.  The November Man has enough jolt-worthy action that I am recommending it, despite how overly familiar it can feel.  Not only does it showcase some great stunts, but it's a wonderful star turn for Brosnan (who also produced the film).  None of the other actors make much of an impact, but I don't think they're supposed to.  This is his film all the way, and he sells it effectively.

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