Review: Brosnan proves he can still be a spy in messy ‘November Man’

Posted on September 5, 2014

It’s been more than 10 years since actor Pierce Brosnan last played spy legend James Bond, so maybe it’s time for him to return with an espionage thriller.

Unfortunately, that film, “The November Man,” never seems to elevate itself above being slightly more than generic. It’s not a bad film and there’s enough there that fans of the genre should find some enjoyment, but it’s not a movie that’s going to stick with you for long.

Story-wise, “The November Man” doesn’t offer anything new or different, and while the action is entertaining at times, with the gunfights and car chases we expect from these kinds of movies, there is always too much going on to allow the audience the settle in and enjoy. It feels longer than its 104-minute runtime would suggest, with plenty of twists and turns that are, for the most part, predictable.

Ultimately the movie’s problem is that it tries to find a middle ground between the high-flying popcorn entertainment of the Bond films and the slow-boiling realism of the John le Carré adaptations (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “A Most Wanted Man”) and finds doing so is a balancing act that it can’t maintain for the duration, providing neither the sustained action nor the emotional bases it needs to succeed.

The movie is rated R for strong violence including a sexual assault, language, sexuality/nudity and brief drug use.

(This is a shortened version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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