November Man: Um Espião Nunca Morre

It's not hard to see why Pierce Brosnan had, for a couple of years, tried to get this film made; despite being a perfectly capable dramatic actor, it is his time as James Bond that people remember most fondly about the 61-year-old Irish actor, so it is no wonder that Brosnan would want at some point to get back into the spy game. There is pedigree and potential here too - the character is the protagonist of novelist Bill Granger's 1980s Peter Devereaux series, and if this movie adapted from the seventh book of that series hits paydirt, there are always many other books on which a franchise could be built.

Thankfully for Brosnan, who also produces the movie through his Irish Dreamtime company, 'November Man' is a sturdy enough thriller that could be the start of several such mid-budget European-set sequels to come. Gone are the gadgets, the girls and the quips that were a centrepiece of Brosnan's 007 days though - Brosnan's Devereaux is the kind of gritty spy Daniel Craig fashioned the 007 character after Brosnan departed, a no-nonsense CIA man at the top of his game who retired after a mission gone wrong with his protégé, David Mason (Australian actor Luke Bracey).

Devereaux is pulled back into the field when his former handler from Langley, a hawk-eyed Hanley (Bill Smitrovich), asks for his help to pull an asset out of Moscow. The woman has critical information about the future head of the Soviet Union, Arkady Federov (Lazar Ristovski), which the CIA would like its hands on, but Devereaux accepts only because she is also his former colleague and lover. That simple mission goes unexpectedly awry when Devereaux finds himself pitted against Mason, whose orders were not only to 'take out' the woman but also Devereaux himself. What's more, Hanley is simultaneously taken into custody by his own CIA unit, after it turns out that he had recruited Devereaux behind their backs.

As scripted by Michael Finch and Karl Gajdusek, the film combines a couple of familiar tropes. Here we have a teacher and his best protégé turned enemies, so that we get to see just how much of the former's skills the latter has honed into his own. We also get a spy versus the Agency, with Devereaux seemingly gone rogue against the apparently corrupted CIA establishment. And finally, we get a witness everyone is after, who as Hollywood convention dictates, happens also to look like a supermodel - that would be Alice Fournier (played by former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko) - and is protected by none other than Devereaux himself.

So far, so good - for the first hour, Roger Donaldson directs a relatively taut and tense setup that keeps you hooked at trying to figure out just who is playing who. We know Devereaux is the good guy here, but just who is everyone else? Will Mason become a cold-hearted killing machine to take out his former trainer? Is Mason's boss the one pulling the strings? What does he have to do with an operation involving Federov and a building which fell in Chechnya that precipitated the war between the two countries? And just who is this Mira whom everyone is looking for, who apparently has Federov's dirty secrets from his past as a Russian general in the Chechen war?

But after a promising start, what was a tightly plotted affair starts to go off the rails. There are a lot of revelations here, and to be fair, a somewhat twisty knot of events to unravel the truth behind the smokescreens. Yet, the scripting gets weaker by the minute - in particular, a thoroughly extraneous scene where Devereaux confronts Mason in his own apartment and decides to teach the latter a thing or two about developing affections for the opposite sex by slashing the femoral artery of his next-door neighbour/ girlfriend for no other apparent reason - and the leaps of logic get more far-fetched as Donaldson tries his darnest to keep the proceedings moving at a brisk clip until the climax.

Never a less than competent helmer, Donaldson largely succeeds, inserting some efficiently thrilling car chases, shootouts and hand-to- hand combats in between the betrayals, admissions and ultimatums. It certainly helps that Brosnan is just as sure a hand at playing a spy, slipping effortlessly into the role with charisma and lending this screen incarnation of Devereaux a dignity and poise that very few silver-haired action stars can do. Brosnan's co-stars are however forgettable, though Kurylenko proves to be a sight to behold in her own right when she puts on a short sexy dress to seduce Federov in his own hotel room.

To be sure, 'November Man' never quite comes close to the heights of Bourne, which is in a league of its own. But for less demanding audiences looking for some late-summer action, this entirely B-grade Euro-set thriller will do the trick. It's got espionage, suspense, blood, some sex (clearly trimmed here for an NC16 rating though), and most of all, Brosnan; yes, the latter is singlehandedly the best thing the film has going for it. And in turn, Brosnan gets his wish - an opportunity back into the spy game, and a pretty good one at that too.

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.

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.

I am reading so many negative reviews on this movie, but they are clearly caused by poor judgment and lack of attention.

The story builds up nicely. The characters aren't underdeveloped at all. However, that character development happens mostly in the last 20 minutes or so. This is a movie that is unfolding through several threads, coming together at the end, clarifying the characters.

I do not need to add any words about the plot. It may seem puzzling to those who are used to be fed the cliché clues, overstating what comes next, but I think it was a very good plot and well executed. True, there should have been some more depth in the acting to enjoy but that would contradict the cold professionalism which is inherent to CIA, hit men and war criminals.

I say, make sure your IQ is three digits worth and enjoy this movie which does evoke 007 much, but harsher.

The last film I saw Brosnan in - Love Punch - was almost as bad as Mama Mia. What was he thinking? Apart from Daniel Craig, I like him as the best 007. So, having read some of the reviews on IMDb I had very low expectations.

However, this is a good film if you like Brosnan as the secret agent. I don't understand why some reviewers don't get the story. It's pretty simple to follow even though the end is half expected. He is gritty enough (just) with the couple of scenes of him drinking not quite making the cut. The action scenes were quite good and Olga Kurylenko added the eye candy.

So, I disagree with the haters. This is definitely worth a watch.