November

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!

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.

I rented this film on a lark not knowing anything but the brief synopsis on Netflix. It languished a few days atop my Blu-ray player, then last night I popped it in so I could send it back. Holy cow!!! (an actual reference to an unforgettable image within the film!) from the very first exquisitely rendered silver-toned b&w shot I felt mesmerized by the films originality, the simplicity and clarity of its absurdity, the openness and uniqueness of every actor's face, the alchemy of the cinematography that strips its images to the essential and presents every scene like a haiku. Sometimes surreal films can be all style and no substance, but not here. The way the characters interact and how the director (Rainer Sarnet) places the camera to capture nuances in each character, the relationships all resonate as identifiable and real. That said, you are so thrown off balance by the strangeness of what you're actually viewing....you find yourself constantly trying to get your bearings. This is a masterpiece to be surrendered to. When a film maker is this kind of visionary...all you can do is trust he'll take you somewhere you've never been before. I look forward to taking this journey again. A new favorite.

"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.

If you like surrealism and dark fairy-tales, and you haven't seen November yet, watch it before reading my review, because I wouldn't want to influence your expectations.

When I started watching November all I knew was IMDb's Drama, Fantasy, Horror categorization. Little did I know that I was about to experience two hours of a beauty so mesmerizing that it would almost bring tears to my eyes.

November is one of those rare cinematic creations that transcends the medium from mere entertainment into a profound work of art. I can think of only a handful of directors that have lifted the art of cinema to this level, such as Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch and Lars von Trier.

November is a surreal, dark fairy-tale that takes place in a mediaeval Estonian village. The story is a mix of Shakespearean romantic drama and rural folklore that pleasantly reminded me of the magical countryside fairy-tale atmosphere in the works of the Croatian naive art painter Ivan Generalic, as well as the imaginative surreal comics by the Greek-French comic creator Fred (Frédéric Aristidès).

The most breathtaking aspect of November is its cinematography. The film is shot in moody, darkly romantic black and white photography with beautiful lighting and screen compositions.

But November is filled with beauty in multiple layers. A beautiful soundtrack - incorporating Beethoven's Mondschein-Sonate - intensifies the atmosphere, the costumes, sets and overall art direction are gorgeous, and there's even lyrical poetry of a poignant grace. It will be a challenge to create something more romantic than November has established.

Last but not least, the casting and actors are also laudable. The two main female characters radiate a magnetic beauty, and the peasants look like they have been time-transported from an actual mediaeval village.