Pierce Brosnan is well practiced at playing a spy. He was, of course, one of the smoothest James Bonds to ever smile slyly on the screen.
But now Pierce Brosnan is trading the sly and charming spy-guise of James Bond for that of Peter Deveraux, the antihero spy at the center of the new thriller The November Man.
The November Man centers on Deveraux, an ex-spy who re-enters the espionage game only to find himself squared-off against one of his best pupils – Mason (Luke Bracey). While the plot of the film is simple at its core, it does provide the opportunity for some well acted scenes between the principal leads. Other than that, there’s not much there.
Brosnan is the best thing about the picture. He’s cool and calm, but he’s meaner and gruffer than he was ever allowed to be as James Bond. When he steps out on screen in the first elongated action sequence you know he means business.
There’s a particularly excellent scene where Brosnan gives a cold as steel performance by giving Luke Bracey’s Mason a life-or-death decision regarding a human life. It’s truly startling and magnificently acted.
There are some really well staged action sequences in this movie and then there are some that could’ve used a little more staging. Sometimes these sequences come one on top of the other.
For instance, there is a great sequence in which Bracey’s Mason is chasing Brosnan’s master spy on foot. The foot chase is held together by the two talking trash to each other over a cellphone as they play a game of hot-and-cold in a crowded market place. The acting is really fun, but the chase ends in an explosion that belongs on daytime television.
If I had one problem with The November Man it actually wouldn’t be the explosions or anything like that. No. It’s that the movie isn’t particularly memorable.
There are too many stock characters and clichés. Some action clichés (like the scene of Brosnan walking away from a burning car) still work and are effective and are clichés for a reason. Others (particularly a scene involving Brosnan tough-talking a pimp) feel like they’re out of a stale cop movie. This movie has a few too many of the latter clichés and not enough of the former.
I would recommend The November Man. However, I just wouldn’t recommend that you see it in theaters.
After seeing this film, I’m certain it will become a staple of movies run on cable. It’s built for television and will provide entertainment for a lazy afternoon. Or this could be a fun Netflix rental.
Expect to be entertained for 108 minutes. But don’t expect to be particularly moved or blown away.
Brian Laughran
Editor-in-Chief