November

I was born in the month of November. It's a great time of year; an autumn sets in, the air turns brisk, and Courtney Cox goes insane. It's been a while since a really weird film came out, and I think this one has the right ingredients.

Sophie Jacobs, played by Courtney Cox , is a photographer who has just lost her boy toy in a vicious murder. It's the guilt that plagues her; she asked her man Hugh ( James Le Gros , Ally McBeal) to go get her some chocolate, and now she has no boyfriend as he was gunned down in the corner store. However following this loss, unexplained happenings occur in her life, and they all seem to be projected through photographic illusion, or reality? This is a psychological thriller that will have you second guessing everything you watch.

It is good to see Courtney back, and this time in a light you've never seen her in. Her character becomes very mysterious and what seems all so distant from reality, but she plays it off real well. That's a start to this unorthodox formula, as the performances are on point as the movie takes strange turns.

Suspense kept my interest for this eighty minute flick, as I wasn't sure what was going on, but I didn't care, I was having a good ride despite the confusion. November kept it tight and condensed it to what it needed to be. It could have been two hours and the confusion could have just extended into a never ending mind screw. Instead, we have a film that never reaches ninety minutes, but gets its point across, whatever that is.

With that, the tone is very dark and captivating while it lasts. There is enough here for its short time span. It is a thinking film that will have you asking questions and receiving answers but mostly questions. November is a rare breed with surprising performances. Its one of those films that you won't hear about, you'll watch it, be shocked for the time being, then probably wont ever here of it again. Hollywood had nothing to do with this and it shows, it's an independent showcase that stands alone from your typical blockbuster.

For what November is, its all it can be. It is not superb, but it's well done and that's all I ask for. The cinematography is spectacular for a digital camera, and director Greg Harrison has created an illusional disaster for his lead character. It is worth taking a look at and should satisfy you until December.

Movie Grade: B +

About the Movie:

Sophie, a Los Angeles photographer, struggles to put the tragic circumstances of her boyfriend’s death behind her. After her boyfriend is shot in a convenience store robbery, reality and fantasy begin to blur for the

grieving woman.