Novembre

Caught this just before it disappeared from Netflix. I hadn't planned on watching it, but something about the timing-late at night, a quiet house-made it feel like the right moment. Afterward, I found myself wavering between eight stars and six. The more I sat with it-and read what others had to say, both the praise and the pushback-the more I felt okay settling at seven.

"November" is gripping in the way only real-life horror stories can be. It doesn't waste time-it throws you right into the tension and doesn't let up. The focus stays almost entirely on the police investigation that followed the Paris attacks of November 13, 2015. It's a bold decision, and for a while, I thought it worked. You feel the urgency in every hallway conversation, every frantic phone call. But somewhere along the way, I started feeling distanced. The chaos becomes numbing. The characters blur together. I found myself wishing the film would slow down-not for exposition, but just to give us a glimmer of who these people are-their individual wants and needs.

There's this strange emptiness at the center of the film, and maybe that's intentional. Maybe we're meant to feel the machinery of justice grinding forward, indifferent to individual lives. But I missed the human angles-the victims, the city, the quiet grief. I kept thinking that this story might've worked better as a miniseries. Something longer, something that could have made space for the emotional aftermath as much as the procedural chase.

Still, I'm glad I watched it. It's a respectful, well-made film. But when it ended, I didn't feel closure-I felt questions. Not about the case, but about how we tell stories like this. Who do we center? Who gets left out? Maybe there's no perfect way to film a tragedy this complex. But maybe trying is still worth something.

Novembre is a 2022 French thriller film directed by Cédric Jimenez. The film tells the story of the police investigation into the November 2015 Paris attacks. The film stars Jean Dujardin, Sandrine Kiberlain, and Grégory Gadebois.

The film opens with a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris. The attacks kill 130 people and injure hundreds more. The French government is under tremendous pressure to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

A secret anti-terrorist unit is formed, led by Fred Valenti (Jean Dujardin). The unit is understaffed and underfunded, but they are determined to find the perpetrators. They quickly track down a lead, but the investigation is complicated by the fact that the perpetrators are well-organized and well-funded.

The film is a tense and suspenseful thriller. Jimenez does a masterful job of creating a sense of urgency and dread. The film is also incredibly realistic, thanks to the use of real-life footage from the attacks.

The film is not without its flaws. The pacing is a bit slow at times, and the film can be a bit too graphic for some viewers. However, these flaws are minor compared to the film's many strengths.

Overall, Novembre is a well-made and powerful film. It is a must-see for anyone interested in the Paris attacks or in cinematic treatment of terrorism investigations.

The director of November, Cédric Jimenez, made a great film here. He managed to take a great angle on the horrific 2015 terrorist attacks that hit France, following the professional and personal struggles of law enforcement officers, highlighting their human side and all that brave citizens can do to make a real difference in helping inspectors. The film has a very good pace and it is quite close to reality. A real pleasure to see Jean Dujardin play such an important role in this very serious, but very entertaining film. Highly recommended for audiences of all ages, nationalities or religions.

As Kathryn Bigelow did with ZERO DARK THIRTY, in 2013, about Ossama Ben Laden trackdown and execution after 9/11 events, French movie industry now does the same about 11/13 mass killings in Paris. The same but not entirely though, only the few days following Friday the 13th, "BLACK FRIDAY", whilst the US movie showed the entire Ben Laden affair. It is taut, tense, gripping, shocking during some scenes, and accurate at the most possible. But unlike the American movie, the characters are not depicted more than necessary. We know nothing about them, except maybe the Anaïs Demoustiers one, this young female cop facing pure horror. But for the rest, including Jean Dujardin, we know nothing. It's not important to appreciate this awesome film, but it is good to tell it. The particularity of this feature is also to remain factual, always factual. Neutral. At no moment, the film maker Cedric Jimenez takes part. It is also very important to warn the audiences. Very unusual and maybe many people won't understand this. It is also question to show some of the terrorists but not enough the victims. Is it a good point? I honestly don't know, each of us will appreciate or not.... A damn good film, however. You can not miss it. We can now consider Cedric Gimenez as the French Paul Greengrass.

Gripping documentary/thriller of the investigation following the attacks. Fast paced, relentless and brutally realistic! It keeps the spectator holding his breath and sitting on the edge of his seat all along,.at the end you come out of it feeling a mixture of relief after the police intervention, but also anger at the lack of consideration for the casualties that are left behind once the whole counter terrorist intervention is over. Well worth a watch as the acting is particularly convincing snd deserves the numerous nominations at the Cesar ceremony. Definitely dark and depressing but so we're the dreadful events the film is steeped in.