There is much promise here from the young director, Greg Harrison.
November (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:9
Rotten:14
Average Rating:4.9/10
Consensus: Murky and too artsy for its own good, November ends up being a case of style with little substance.
Theatrical Release:Jul 22, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: This stylish thriller, which was shot on mini-DV in only 15 days in guerilla manner, displays a moody aestheticism and cohesive vision that suggests a bigger budget. The claustrophobic interiors,... This stylish thriller, which was shot on mini-DV in only 15 days in guerilla manner, displays a moody aestheticism and cohesive vision that suggests a bigger budget. The claustrophobic interiors, spare soundtrack, and innovative lighting make the most of a compelling, challenging script that leaves the viewer perennially uncertain as to what is real. Courtney Cox-Arquette, demonstrating her dramatic chops in a drastic shift from her FRIENDS character, stars as Sophie Jacobson, whose boyfriend Hugh (James Le Gros, DRUGSTORE COWBOY, LOVELY & AMAZING) is shot and killed one night in a convenience store while she waits in the car. Traumatized, Sophie is plagued by headaches and strange episodes that increasingly impair her everyday life. Resuming her job as a photography teacher at the local college, she is confronted by a photograph taken the night of the shooting. When she investigates to find out who took it, the answer sets off a string of events that defy explanation. The narrative unfolds in a nonlinear way, traveling both directions in time from the central event of the shooting, recalling in equal parts MEMENTO and MULHOLLAND DRIVE. The couple's history is elaborated, providing new insight into the events surrounding that fateful night, while certain episodes repeat themselves with subtle variations, leaving audiences to parse the truth for themselves. As new elements are constantly introduced, everyone starts to question Sophie's sanity--including the audience. Finally, reality comes unglued and the shock of Sophie's trauma is explored in a new way. [More]
Starring: Courteney Cox-Arquette, Anne Archer, James LeGros, Michael Ealy
Starring: Courteney Cox-Arquette, Anne Archer, James LeGros, Michael Ealy, Nora Dunn
Director: Greg Harrison
Director: Greg Harrison
Screenwriter: Benjamin Brand
Producer: Danielle Renfrew
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
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Reviews for November
The lack of proper resolution to the story is more vexing than intriguing.
Does not provide enough 'clues' to Sophie's emotional background to make us care whether or not she survives the trauma of 7/11.
Best approached and appreciated as a puzzle that can be completed in various ways and a reminder that memory, like images, can be fixed, but not always trusted.
In the gritty psychological thriller November, a gutsy Courteney Cox puts a world of distance between herself and her lightweight 'Friends' image.
A detective investigating the shooting comments on some photos that pertain to the case: 'It's a shame. They're almost too arty for their own good.' The same can easily be said about November.
Excruciatingly, the film disgorges its crime and variations of it again and again. We'd prefer more detective work and less of what plays out as a grisly loop.
Whatever we think one minute is utterly meaningless, without connection, the next.
Director Greg Harrison seems more interested in pretentiously highbrow visual effects than developing a compelling narrative during November, his convoluted, ineffective psychological thriller.
It's intriguing when a film is about tension, and its method is about tension, and the two seem to be pulling against each other.
If you like this sort of challenge, there are better examples (try The Machinist) than this lugubrious and derivative work.
Beware serious movies starring former sitcom stars. Beware thrillers about photographers. Bewares movies set in convenience stores.
I liked it even better the second time when I knew where we were heading.
A cleverly assembled film, shot and edited on digital video for a pittance, November wants only to be an entertainingly squirmy mind tease.
There's no real payoff -- artistically or emotionally -- in Gregory Harrison's gimmicky and tedious psychological thriller November, shot on ugly digital video.
November has the pretensions of an art-house indie trying to one-up a Hollywood trend — in this case, the Sixth Sense-style twist ending that belies everything that has gone before.
The performances are crisp and in focus, with Cox in particular showing a photogenic feel for expressing grief.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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