It felt a bit heavy-handed with all talk of doing theatre for free and that it somehow has more value because they are doing it solely for the art. But there are some good performances in this and ultimately I don't think the message was bad, it just felt a bit on the nose. The music was quite enjoyable but overall I don't really recommend it.
... View MoreThis is a movie about the lost if innocence in cinema, in theatre... in art. Alfredo, the main character, is just a boy who loves theatre, he doesn't want to become a big movie star, nor a stage star. He doesn't want even to make money by acting. So he decides to create an independent street theatre company with some of his partners from the Art School. The movie isn't based on a true story, but it certainly looks like it was (We can see all the characters 30 years after the company was created, talking about it. Just like if it was a documentary). It does not matter that much if the performances of Alfredo and his crew aren't too brilliant because that's not what this film is about. You don't have to live in Spain to comprehend the point of this movie (as the previous commentator suggests). Just take a look around and see how everything in art's been prostituted. That's what this film is about. About not giving in, about fighting the establishment. Although the final sequence clearly shows us that the establishment cannot be beaten. Sad but true. Noviembre is one of the more brilliant Spanish films that I've recently seen. I highly recommend you to watch it. Nevermind if you're Spanish, north-American, or German...
... View MoreThis 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"
... View MoreSaw 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.
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