Released: August 2014
Director: Roger Donaldson
Run Time: 108 Minutes
Rated R
Cast:
Pierce Brosnan: Peter Devereaux
Olga Kurylenko: Alice
Luke Bracey: Mason
Bill Smitrovich: Hanley
Will Patton: Perry Weinstein
Spy movies have been around for decades. We’ve seen films like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Bourne films just to name a few. But when people think of the ultimate spy movie, they think of James Bond. How can you not? He is the definitive fictional spy. The guy oozed swagger, charm and sophistication like no other. He was also a bad-ass secret agent with fancy gadgets and wild villains. Bond has been played by multiple actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby, and most recently, Daniel Craig. But one actor known for playing James Bond, first played the role in one of my favorite Bond films ever: Goldeneye. The actor: Pierce Brosnan. Goldeneye was a phenomenal success and really put Mr. Brosnan on the map. Having a fantastic career, Brosnan would reprise the role of James Bond three more times. Unfortunately, his last outing as Bond, Die Another Day was a bit a dud. 12 years after that particular disaster, Pierce Brosnan would make a serious return to the world of intrigue in last year’s The November Man.
Starting off on a mission in Moscow, Russia, CIA agent Devereaux and his partner Mason are security detail for a local politician who’s made some particularly nasty enemies. Assuming the identity of the politician in question, Devereaux is attacked by a gunman, who is eventually shot by Mason. Unfortunately, there was a casualty: a young boy was caught in the crossfire. 5 years later, Devereaux has left the agency, but is approached by a former colleague, Hanley, who convinces Devereaux to re-enter the field to retrieve an undercover agent. The agent in question knows someone who may have considerable information on a Russian presidential nominee. While Devereaux makes contact with the agent, she is shot and killed by another agent. His cover blown, Devereaux escapes with the agent’s phone and tries to find out what’s happening and why.
I love spy movies. More importantly, I love GOOD spy movies. Of all the James Bond movies out there, I like a great many, but there were few that were truly exceptional. Goldeneye was an exceptional one. Pierce Brosnan was fantastic as Bond. The November Man marks Brosnan’s return to the genre, and it’s absolutely fantastic. Original? Not particularly. But seeing Brosnan in full-on spy-mode is simply breathtaking. Pierce has always been an amazing actor and he absolutely nails it here. While some might compare The November Man to the Brosnan’s James Bond pictures, the difference between the characters is night and day. James Bond was witty; he always had a punchline. Devereaux is a very hard-edged character who’s trying to leave his past behind him. This is Pierce Brosnan’s show, through and through. Brosnan fits into the spy role like a glove and seeing him wreak havoc in this movie is exciting. Bill Smitrovich has a bit of a smarmy role as Hanley who may or may not be telling the whole truth(he is a spy, after all). Luke Bracey plays Devereaux’s former protege. The gorgeous Olga Kurylenko plays Alice, a person who helps victimized and abused women. Will Patton plays the head of the CIA: Perry Weinstein. I’m not sold on Bracey. His performance comes across as forced. Physically, he obviously can handle the role, but when it comes to delivering on emotion, he just stumbles. Kurylenko is simply natural as Alice. She brings a grace and vulnerability to the role, while hiding secrets of her own. I’ve always liked Kurylenko. Besides the fact that she is simply a stunning woman, she’s also a good actress in her own right. She’s also no stranger to the spy genre. She starred alongside Daniel Craig in Quantum Of Solace.
With spy movies comes action, and The November Man really delivers. Unlike the James Bond films, The November Man’s violence is particularly brutal. No CG shots or explosions, it’s all done in camera, and the film is much better for it. Pierce Brosnan handles the action like a pro and it shows. He’s clearly in fantastic shape, because there are times when he takes a real beating. His character has a very personal stake in the plot, and the way things happen around Devereaux happen for a reason. The action helps drive the story which, in true spy movie fashion, takes various twists and turns. Sadly, those twists and turns are telegraphed a mile away. The story can be heavy and predictable at times, but it is never boring. While the action sequences are spectacular, some obvious cliches tend to creep into the picture at times. Roger Donaldson is no stranger to action movies, as he’s directed some pretty good ones like Dante’s Peak, which also starred Pierce Brosnan. But I’m not entirely convinced that Donaldson can handle a spy movie the way someone like Martin Campbell can. But I will have to admit, that Donaldson pulls no punches with this one. This is about as violent as a spy movie can get without it becoming over-the-top.
While the film’s imperfections stand out like a sore thumb, I feel that the whole movie is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s an exciting film that doesn’t overstay its welcome. While I’m not convinced that Bracey has what it takes to act the part of a spy, Brosnan is absolutely in his element. He carries the movie like you wouldn’t believe. I don’t think that The November Man is going to win any awards, it still stands on its own as a solid, if predictable, spy thriller. The writing is pretty good, and the direction is solid. The action is fast, slick and hard-hitting, but never borders on the ridiculous. Overall, this was surprisingly not a bad movie. I’m giving this one an 8.5/10. It’s certainly not perfect, but it gets the job done, like James Bond, er, Pierce Brosnan. It’s worth a rental at least. Check it out.