Movie Review: The November Man

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Rating: ***

Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey,Olga Kurylenko, Bill Smitrovich, Amila Terzimehic

Direction: Roger Donaldson

Language: English

Former 007 Pierce Brosnan goes back to doing what he is wellknown for in this new flick — playing a super spy. But it turns out to be as flawed as some of his Bond films. He plays retired CIA spook Peter Devereaux invited by an old handler (Bill Smitrovich) to exfiltrate a Russian source and former flame, who has damaging war-crime information on the next Russian president's involvement in the Chechen conflict.

Devereaux must also protect valuable witness Alice Fournier (Bond girl Olga Kurylenko). He discovers that his assignment marks him a target of his former friend and CIA protégé David Mason ( Lu ke Bracey). He finds himself in a Bondlike quandary — no one to turn to no one to trust.

Brosnan reportedly had reservations about doing the film for fear of tarnishing his Bond legacy. While it may not exactly do that kind of damage, it does little to exalt it.

The film, an adaptation of the seventh novel in Bill Granger's book series of the same name, suffers from a bad and at times laughable script. Directed by Aussie Roger Donaldson (Crash Palace and Cadillac Man fame), it ends up looking like a poor Bond film.

The plus point is, at 61, Brosnan shows that he can still pull off action scenes. And Kurylenko keeps pace with him.

Poor * Average ** Good *** Very Good **** Excellent *****