Hey folks, Harry here.... following my Keanu Theorty of Ruling and Sucking, this film should work as Keanu plays a guy that doesn't know what is going on and is not in control.... therefore making the film a viable Keanu vehicle. In theory. And Capone seemed to have liked the film, so it looks like my theory is still holding true....
Hey, Harry. Capone in Chicago here posing the question: Is there anything Keanu Reeves can’t do...besides add and spell? With SWEET NOVEMBER, Keanu takes his first stab at full-blown, cheesy Hollywood romance. And he’s not too bad. Keanu is Nelson Moss, a hot-shot ruthless ad exec at the end of his rope. His girlfriend has left him and he’s been fired from his job for creating an over-the-top ad campaign for hot dogs. (Actually his pitch to the hot dog client is the funniest thing in the movie...on purpose.)
When the whole world threatens to come crashing down on him, Nelson finds himself at the DMV renewing his license. While taking his written test, he tries to cheat off a fellow test taker, Sara (the always-luminous Charlize Theron). She gets busted for talking during the test and confronts Nelson outside the DMV. Quickly she learns what a complete whanker the guys is, and she proposes something unusual. She offers to devote herself to him entirely and better his life if he moves in with her for the entire month of November. Apparently this is something she does regularly, taking in lost souls and making their lives better one month at a time.
Naturally, Nelson thinks she crazy, but eventually he warms to her, and you can probably guess where things go from there. If this story sounds familiar to you, it’s because SWEET NOVEMBER is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name, starring Sandy Dennis and Anthony Newley. I’m not the biggest Keanu Reeves fan in the world, but I thought he pulled it off here. He’s as charming as a robot can be, and he’s not afraid to do somewhat ridiculous things to impress Sara. Minor spoiler: Keanu sings in this movie, and I’m pretty sure it’s his voice. Theron is 100 percent charming. The whole film, especially the way she chooses to play her hippie-dippie character, reminded me of a “Dharma and Greg” episode. They even live in San Francisco. Also very good here is Jason Isaacs (the mean British colonel from THE PATRIOT) as Sara gay downstairs neighbor. (Doesn’t every beautiful woman have a gay neighbor downstairs?)
I don’t want to ruin anything for those who don’t know the story, but things take a decidedly darker turn in the back half of the SWEET NOVEMBER. Not surprisingly, Keanu doesn’t want to leave at the end of his 30 days, and we’re not convinced she wants him to. I have to applaud the filmmakers for not substantially changing the ending of this movie from the original. There are a few too many cornball lovely dovey speeches at the end from both Keanu and Charlize, and by the end of the film I found myself more tempted to laugh than cry, but darn it, that kid from the short bus, Keanu, does an okay job here (if you ignore his constantly flailing arms that seem to act as a means to physically propel himself into dramatic outbursts). Irish director Pat O’Connor (CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, DANCING AT LUGHNASA) is able to give the leads some nice moments together, which is all that’s really required of him. SWEET NOVEMBER is also about 20 minutes too long, but none of its faults were severe enough for me not to marginally recommend it. God help me, let the Talkbacks commence...
