The November Man

Pierce Brosnan puts his James Bond persona to bed with this film. I've been off Brosnan in the last couple of years since Bond, though he's a brave actor and has tried various roles. This one puts him firmly back in the action mould. His character Devereaux could take Bond with one arm behind his back - well not perhaps not Daniel Craig but he'd give him a run for his money. It was as gritty a performance as I have ever seen from Brosnan and ranks alongside the current Bond and Bourne for tension and is not far behind for action. His character is cold and dangerous and utterly ruthless. The plot too is clever with twists and turns and betrayals. I was engrossed from start to finish. The action is fast and graphic. Go see it. Its a fun ride.

True, the plot is predictable to some degree and the movie is definitely not Bourne or Casino Royale (2006). This doesn't mean that is trash, though. There are lots o middle places between a master piece and an totally awful movie.

One of the main problems is that in a couple of moments the information is delivered in a sloppy way and this creates some momentary confusion on the viewer. But it doesn't last long. There are also some scenes that stretch too far the disbelief suspension that any movie of that kind invariably asks for. But if you can look past those flaws, you will be entertained by a movie that delivers. Brosnan does his thing, there are good action scenes, got some decent plot twists, acting is average...

Don't get put off by the haters. All in all, a decent spy flick. Just keep your expectations at a mainstream level and you won't be disappointed.

'THE November MAN': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Spy thriller starring Pierce Brosnan as an ex-CIA agent who must take on an old pupil, when his former employers kill the woman he loves and target him for assassination. The movie was directed by Roger Donaldson; who's directed such popular hits as 'COCTAIL', 'CADILLAC MAN', 'THE BOUNTY', 'SPECIES' and 'DANTE'S PEAK' (which also stars Brosnan). It was written by Michael Finch and Karl Gajdusek and based on the book 'There Are No Spies' (which is the seventh installment in 'The November Man' series) by Bill Granger. It costars Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko, Bill Smitrovich and Will Patton. I found it to be pretty entertaining and surprisingly dark, and violent, but still nothing too new or interesting to offer fans of the genre.

Brosnan plays Peter Devereaux; an ex-CIA agent who retired after a student of his, David Mason (Bracey), accidentally killed a kid (while the two were doing an assignment together in Montenegro). Since that time Peter has started a relationship with another CIA operative, named Natalia Ulanova (Mediha Musilovic). He comes out of retirement to aid her on a deep cover assignment in Russia, when she's murdered by Mason; under the orders of CIA chief Perry Weinstein (Patton). Peter then wants revenge on the CIA, for killing Natalia, and will stop at nothing to find out what vital information she uncovered and why she was killed for it.

The story is that of a pretty routine espionage thriller but it does take some pretty dark turns, here and there. Both Brosnan and Bracey's characters do some pretty questionable 'anti-heroic' things that, at times, leave the viewer questioning who they're supposed to root for. So in that way I really enjoyed the movie. Brosnan does slip back into the ultimate spy role with plenty of ease and Donaldson does a pretty effective job delivering the action. Kurylenko looks stunning as usual (and even uncannily resembles a young Catherine Zeta-Jones in some scenes). The film might not have much original to offer, fans of the genre, but it's still a lot of fun; I'd even say it's better than about half of the James Bond movies.

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Hrmmm ... I'm not sure what film the less enthusiastic reviewers here happened to watch. The November Man is an excellent movie for fans of this genre. The performances delivered by the cast are great, the script is generally good, and the film is incredibly well shot.

Some seem to have a problem with Pierce Brosnan because of his age. I'm not sure what that's all about -- his was a fantastic performance in this film. Additionally, the well-written script delivers a lot of action and plot turns to keep you engrossed in the movie from the time it starts until the closing credits begin to roll. Did we see the same film? I'm having a hard time finding fault with The November Man. If you enjoy thrillers, then this should be right up your alley. The November Man is strongly recommended viewing for adults who have a taste for this kind of stuff.

November Man is a pretty run of the mill movie, it has the often used plot element of someone who comes out of retirement for one last job/mission. The action sequences aren't bad and the acting is good but as for the movie as a whole it's all been done before yet it still manages to entertain.