Review of November (2007) by Max S — 27 Jan 2006

"I want something...chocolate." A seemingly innocent quote makes Courtney Cox's character, Sophie, the blame for the death of her boyfriend, Hugh. He goes into a convenience store and gets shot during a robbery. She reveals she wasn't faithful to Hugh and has headaches and stomach pains, and lives a depressing life in a bleek apartment with loud music endlessly thumping above her.

The movie is divided into 3 stages: "Denial", "Despair", and "Acceptance". Each one is a part of the seven stages of death. All 3 have similar scenes, with some changes; some subtle, some right there, in-your-face clues that lead up to this mystery. Things start getting weird after a student puts a slide of the convenience store that was taken the night of the robbery and murder. An ominous picture of an outstreched hand framed on Sophie's wall. A lightbulb that gets brighter and blood quickly gets smeared on it, then just as fast the lightbulb appears to be normal.

One of the great things about this movie, besides that it messes with your mind, is the cinematography. Some excellent shots of her in the library, urban pictures, and others come to mind. It fits the movie perfectly (and I mean perfectly) because she's a photographer, and the mood and story are so bizarre that with each twist and turn of the plot, the camera shots go just as bizzare.

The ending has made most people confused and angry, but look at the obvious facts. These are not spoilers, as they don't make sense unless you watch the movie. "ACCEPTANCE" - think about that. Her subtle dialogue like "what's outside the frame matters" - a definite metaphor that screams to be looked at. There are many possible and logical explanations for the ending, which makes for multiple viewings; each one you figure out something new.

Overall, Courntey Cox gives a great performance and the cinematography is amazing. I'm not rating it higher because psychological thrillers have been longer and better; movies like Memento make this movie cower in a corner. Just like all the other movies in the same genre, this one makes you think. You will question every little detail after the credits roll, make connections, and spend more time talking about it than the movie actually runs. And that is the true mark of good writing, directing, and camera work.