SCREEN

NOVEMBER

Matthew Scott Hunter

On the evening of November 7th, Sophie (Cox) and her boyfriend Hugh (LeGros) stop at a convenience store for an ill-timed late-night snack. A twitchy lowlife tries to rob the joint and Hugh is killed. This is the denial version of an event examined three times in November. The following two are entitled "Despair" and "Acceptance." But perhaps better titles would have been "Intrigue," "Irritation" and "Deep Splintering Rage." But those might clarify things for the audience, and this film certainly doesn't want to do that.


The first act sets events in motion at a nice, creepy pace, but the second act throws in some confusion and slows down just when you want it to race toward the third act's answers. Don't count on those, by the way. In case the Frasier-style title cards and repetitive sequences aren't enough to remind you that you're watching another version of the same situation, the film is kind enough to offer wildly different lighting schemes for each segment. This also serves as a reminder that we're watching style stand in for substance. Ultimately, the film's key event simply isn't interesting enough to warrant three different viewings, especially given the absence of a less-than-pretentious explanation for the differences.

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