November (2003)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Absolutely Brilliant!

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Interesting interpretation on the creative freedom. The enormous Spanish tradition of the spectacle in the street has been truncated time and time again by the successive powers that always have seen in the theater a disturbing element of the well-thinking society. It is why it has been always persecuted and prevented the free expression. More,in spite of it, always moved away groups of commercial the circuits and for that reason prostituted, that have preferred the proximity with the public, true adressee of the representations have existed, shaking the consciences to wake up them of the sleepiness collective who undergoes that customary society to the easy televising programs or truculent,violent, unreal, manipulating and cheating films of the majority and overwhelming American cinema. And to the aim the tribute that must pay that exercise of free expression in this furious world by the idea of the security, on the one hand, and the absurd terrorism that are not another thing that the two faces of the same currency. What matters is to restore the fear to the freedom. And when this it does not exist or the money does not corrupt it, it is had to shoot on the pianist.

Never read anything about this film, so when it showed on cable, I decided to see it. The idea of making theatre in the streets seemed an interesting idea. To bring drama to the masses, in that environment, is to be commended.Approaching Achero Manas' picture, without having any background to the history behind it, doesn't make much sense to an ordinary viewer. Maybe to audiences in Spain, it might resonate, or at least, given the publicity surrounding some of its most daring pieces, they could bring a proximity, which to me, seemed illusive, at best.First of all, the group, as I gathered, was active in Madrid in the past. We see Alfredo organizing his troupe of actors, then we are given glimpses of some of their work in the center of the city. The director brings another dimension by adding an explanation as to why things worked, or didn't, and its ultimate demise, by presenting actors, mostly in their 50s or older, talking directly to the camera telling us about their experiences when they were young. If we are to believe them, it would have put the action as having taken place in the 60s, in a Spain where Franco still dominated and most of the actions of the Noviembre group would not have occurred, and not in the recent past. If the director wanted to add this sort of device, he would have achieved more reality by presenting the same actors we see, throughout the film, as part of the Noviembre group, doing the explanations.Some of the Noviembre theater pieces aren't even interesting! One wonders what was the big deal about them. Maybe the fact that it was never done in Spain? In other western countries, where street performances happen on a daily basis, these performances they did, seem very tame and pointless. Only their piece about the assault to apparently innocent bystanders have any real punch, the rest, doesn't amount to much.Unfortunately this Spanish film seems to have been made for only a few, that knew the in joke, not for the rest of us outside of Spain.

This is one of the most surprising films I have ever seen and the acting is just amazing.The story of the idealistic Spanish street theater group "November" is really touching and a mixture of fiction and documentary.The scenes of street theater in Madrid are wonderful, the actors turn metros and shopping streets into a playground for their acts and I enjoyed the idea of interaction of with the audience.Furthermore, the message of the film will make you think about the meaning of art: a business, a hobby, a life style... and about the extremely individualistic and materialistic society that the film reflects. Only by watching it you will understand that art is a way of changing this world and that youth is not passive.I strongly recommend "November" because is that kind of films that helps you to understand yourself and the world. And I like to finish with the last sentence of the film said by one of the actresses: "We wanted to change the world, we failed miserably. Now I just try to not let the world change me"

Saw this film in Barcelona without subtitles and with only my somewhat pitiable Spanish skills. It's definitely an artsy masturbation job, but I enjoyed the earnest of the actors and the filmmakers. Part of the new wave of films that use "documentary" and "reality TV" type devices to motivate plto.I thought I didn't get the fact that the older people were the grown-up younger actors telling their story at first because of my language skills, but I asked several native speakers and they were as bemused. The street scenes of street theater in Madrid are really the best moments and worth experiencing if not anything else.