Directed by Cédric Jimenez
Starring Jean Dujardin, Sandrine Kiberlain, Anaïs Demoustier, Jérémie Renier, and Lyna Khoudri

Friday the 13th. A day and date combination born in Western superstition that has very successfully found its belonging in the global horror movie industry. In Paris, November 2015, on Friday the 13th, at 9 15pm, a real-life horror started to unfold. 

This fictional film inspired by the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks chronicles the tireless work of the lead investigators belonging to a French anti-terrorism unit over the course of the following 5 days. The pressure that is immediately placed onto their shoulders from the get-go is palpable and only continues to intensify as the French Interior Ministry and other European nations become involved in the manhunt. 

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I get the sense that global appetite for films such as this whose content revolves around or is derived from real-life and recent atrocities is low. Even more so if the cinema release is not a patriotic American production. Though not of the same calibre as of those American productions, Zero Dark Thirty, November is a tense thriller that, some controversy aside, is earnestly produced and presented.

In no time at all, November imbeds a sense of urgency to proceedings and very effectively uses its handheld camerawork to create the chaotic atmosphere its investigators, which includes unit leader Héloïse (Sandrine Kiberlain), her chief commander Fred (Oscar ® winner Jean Dujardin), Inès (Anaïs Demoustier), and Marco (Jérémie Renier), must operate in. Almost all of the film’s attention is on their efforts to find those responsible for the attacks, bring them to account and help to re-establish public safety again. Numerous scenes where the team take victim and witness statements, interrogate potential suspects and accomplices, and speak with informants whose integrity and intention are constantly in question are all solidly rendered. A handful or so of scenes that do allow themselves to be distracted by some arrangements of others in this final cut could have been left on the cutting room floor. It’s difficult to recognise any value they add to the focus of this story. Where November excels the most at what it executes is when it involves the character of Samia (Lyna Khoudri) later into proceedings. Though there has understandably been controversy surrounding the visual portrayal of this character, it is the dedication and empathy in the characterisation of Inès and the trajectory of the story that involves all characters I’ve mentioned and more that leads November to its strong finish.

November is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from May 11th.

Moviedoc thanks Palace Films for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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