NOVEMBER MAN
UK/US, 2014, 108 minutes, Colour.
Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko, Bill Smitrovich, Lazar Ristovski, Mediha Musliovich, Eliza Taylor, Will Patton.
Directed by Roger Donaldson.
November Man is based on a novel by Bill Granger, There are no Spies, one of a series of espionage novels from the Cold War era. It has been updated to the 21st century.
The film is a star vehicle for Pierce Brosnan who is also a producer, an opportunity for him to go back into the world of espionage, with as much ingenuity, or more, as James Bond, but not nearly so suave in manner. Brosnan fits the bill is very well. His associate is played by Luke Bracey, Australian actor from Home and Away, his former pupil, not obeying orders, resentful, but ultimately admiring Brosnan.
The settings are attractively photographed, in the Balkans, in Moscow, in Serbia and Belgrade.
The world is rather ugly, assassination attempts in the Balkans, CIA surveillance in Belgrade headquarters, pimps from Eastern Europe and the trafficking of girls, conspiracy theories, CIA linking with Russians in Chechnya to do damage causing deaths which would lead to civil war.
The film concerns a Russian candidate for President who has a dubious background (with audiences thinking of Vladimir Putin). There is a witness who can testify against the Russian, and attempts are made to eliminate her, the Russians sending a cold-blooded female killer to Belgrade, the Americans wanting her dead to conceal her evidence.
The cast includes Olga Kurylenko as a mysterious woman, working to save the traffic women but having her own secrets. Bill Mitrovitch has a good role as a CIA agent, friend of Brosnan, but with secrets of his own and a fanatic in ideology. Will Patton is a CIA chief, seemingly sinister.
The film has a great deal of action and is directed by Roger Donaldson, the Australian director who began his career in New Zealand but moved internationally with a wide range of films including The Bounty, Marie, The Bank Job.
1. 21st century espionage – from a novel from the 20th century and the Cold War era?
2. The Balkan settings, Moscow, Serbia and Belgrade? Colourful and authentic? The musical score?
3. Espionage, agents, the CIA, Russians, the background in Chechnya, the Balkans?
4. The background of CIA training, the young recruits, hard training, reports and criticisms? In action?
5. 2008, the politician, the assassination attempt, Peter and his changing clothes, David Mason and his being a sniper, not following orders, the death of the assassin, the death of a child, Peter’s reaction? The setting and preparation for later action?
6. Switzerland, Peter, age, retirement, care for his daughter? The visit from Hanley, the photo and their past friendship? The information, the situation in Russia, the need to withdraw the agent, her request that Peter do it? Her having information, and name, the threat to the Russian presidential candidate? Weinstein and Langley, the interactions with Hanley, his perspective on the withdrawal? The orders to kill the woman? Mason and his associates, the vehicle? Peter making the connection, taking the girl, the relationship, her puzzle, the chase, the shooting of the crash, her death? Mason and the confrontation with Peter, not killing her? The mystery of the CIA action?
7. The Russian assassin, cold-blooded, her contacts, working at the restaurant to kill Alice, the pursuit of Peter, her being outwitted, her death?
8. Weinstein, the connection, the orders, hard stances, the surveillance headquarters, the variety agents, the screens? Hanley and his presence? The friendship with Peter? His being taken, in the room, interrogated, the woman interrogator, his defying her, the fact that he had written the rules?
9. The irony of the twist, Hanley being the villain? The past, friendship, CIA activity, his ideology, wanting the US and Russia to combine, his plans for peace, the conspiracy? Chechnya, the bombing of the building, CIA plan? The Russian candidate and witness? The Americans and the need for his elimination?
10. The information about the mysterious girl, the flashbacks, the death of her parents, her witnessing the bombing, her being taken by the candidate, the years with him, the sexual exploitation, her escape? Serbia, the agency for the traffic women from Chechnya and other countries? Alice, her work at the agency, the photo, identification?
11. Peter and Alice, the connection, at the restaurant, the killer’s attempt on her, the escape, chases through the city, Peter and his techniques for evading pursuit? Taking Alice to the apartment?
12. Mason and Hanley, orders, his partners, going into action, following Peter, Peter shrewd, evading pursuit, the use of the phones, surveillance, tracking, his tricks?
13. Mason and the girl, the neighbour, going out, the sexual relationship, Peter arriving, holding the knife to the girl, and his threats to Mason?
14. The truth about Hanley, the truth about Weinstein, about the Russian, the American conspiracy, about the young woman and her being sought, her being a witness, to be eliminated?
15. The pimp, at the club, Alice and her connections, knowing Peter, the information – and his later death?
16. Alice, in reality the young woman being sought, the dangers? Her getting dressed, provocative, going to the hotel, to the Russian’s room, the sexual encounter, the knife and the confrontation?
17. Peter and his intervention, saving her?
18. And the many deaths, the pimp? The Russian candidate, not a contender, in luxury, killed on his yacht?
19. Hanley, the discussions with Peter, his ideology, death?
20. The taking of Peter’s daughter, Mason and his finding her, saving her?
21. A contemporary story but the origins in the past, the Cold War, CIA, Russia, agents, conspiracies, twists?
