November

A strange trip deep in the wilderness.

I could try to explain to you what the hell is going on but in all honesty that would not be a good explanation as I have no clue what's happening here.

Seems very experimental with some loose concepts that make it seem like a science fiction film.

Confusing as it was I did like the imagery. I'm a sucker for a film shot it the cold wilderness. A lot of the picture seemed grim and distributed but I found it hard to get into as I really don't know what's going on and kept falling in and out of reading the subtitles.

I like the picture, but the story I could not keep up with.

"November" is a beautiful, poetic, darkly comedic, fantastical, tragic love story that will absolutely dazzle arthouse audiences (and probably no one else). The film was made in Estonia, shot in stark black and white, and the script features encounters with the dead and the devil, bargains with witches, bullets made of sacramental bread, magic spells, hidden treasure, a bewitched Baroness, a literal personification of pestilence, an omniscient snowman, and tools that are bewitched into creatures that speak and work. The film has many scenes where there's very little dialogue, and the viewer is forced to often forced to piece together what it is that is happening, or, if what is happening is completely real or metaphorical. "November" is a fantasy masterpiece on par with many of the films that Guillermo Del Toro ("Shape of Water") and Terry Gilliam ("Brazil") have put out.

To all those who have difficulties understanding November: this is not Tarkovsky, Bergman, or Bunuel! This is just plain good art, with a story, good acting, awkward turns and situations - so get up from your Hollywood-trained armchair and give yourself a chance!

Based on Estonian bestselling novel "Rehepapp ehk November" by Andrus Kivirähk. Many (me included) have deemed the book to be nearly impossible to adapt onto the big screen and it shows in the film. Still writer/director Rainer Sarnet has done quite nice (bit uneven at places, perhaps) job handling this difficult source material and creating surreal (anti)fairy tale land of misery and condemnation that stays true to it's roots but still stands on its own. What I mean by anti fairy tale is the landscape is bleak, people are miserable, they deceive and steal without any idea what to to with all the treasures they grabbed but simply bury them or hide under floorboards. Love is some strange silliness according these people and it's destined to fail. They follow old beliefs and base their lives on myths and legends. Tragic and same time hilariously beautiful in the sauce of dark humor. Some of the cast are formed by non-professional actors, thus some of the acting might seem wooden, but it adds to whole charm of the movie.

'November' might be little bit difficult to follow and understand to those who haven't read the novel before. Or someone who doesn't possess much knowledge about Estonian mythology and history. At least magnificent black and white cinematography offers some visual beauty to strange surreal land for those who don't get all what is hidden in the story. 'November' is pure art-house experiment that could have gone wrong in some many places.

This was a really slow burn of a film, but it was also kind of intense at points. The cinematography was incredible, and I enjoyed the interplay of the pagan and Christian beliefs. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I would watch this again.