November (2022 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | October 5, 2022 |
| Founder | Cédric Jimenez |
| Products | Film |
November () is a French motion picture from 2022, both penned and helmed by Cédric Jimenez, which premiered on 5 October 2022.
Synopsis
The narrative focuses on the law enforcement investigations and counter-terrorism efforts carried out during the five days immediately following the 13 November attacks.
Cast
- Jean Dujardin portraying Fred
- Anaïs Demoustier in the role of Ines
- Sandrine Kiberlain as Héloïse
- Jérémie Renier playing Marco
- Lyna Khoudri cast as Samia
- Sofian Khammes taking on Foued
- Stéphane Bak as Djibril
- Victoire Du Bois in the role of Julia
Production
Principal photography commenced on 17 May 2021 and spanned a duration of twelve weeks, with locations including Greece, Belgium, and Île-de-France. Notably, scenes were filmed in Cergy, Val-d'Oise.
Critical response
In France, AlloCiné aggregated an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 based on 35 critic reviews.
Upon release, the film garnered considerable attention from critics, predominantly earning favorable evaluations. France Info Culture commended the director’s approach of anchoring the story in thorough research combined with compelling narrative structure and energetic editing. 20 minutes remarked that Novembre effectively functions as an action film that brings a human dimension to a tragic episode, enhancing its emotional resonance.
The style of Cédric Jimenez was also lauded by reviewers. Le Figaro labeled him as "the most American among our filmmakers," drawing parallels to Kathryn Bigelow’s technique in Zero Dark Thirty. Likewise, Paris Match described the film as “solid and powerful,” likening it to investigative dramas such as Flight 93 and Zero Dark Thirty.
Some critiques were more nuanced; Ecran Large acknowledged the suspense and observational qualities in the first half but criticized its absence of a clear perspective and insufficient character development. Libération noted the film’s effective tone while pointing out its preference for straightforwardness over complexity.
According to Première, Novembre represents a pure action genre piece from Jimenez’s viewpoint, concentrating on police operations with stark intensity, resulting in a potent yet emotionally restrained work reminiscent of a “Zero Dark Thirty” devoid of its tragic depth.
Negative assessments included Le Monde, which argued that the film does not sufficiently explore its characters or fully capture the event’s significance, thereby limiting its overall impact despite maintaining a respectable stance. Meanwhile, Les Fiches du Cinéma criticized it for steering clear of explicit content but ultimately delivering limited substantial insight into the subject matter.
Box office
On its opening day, November achieved sales of 100,953 tickets (including 42,194 from previews) across 661 screens, ranking first among new releases ahead of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which recorded 67,902 admissions. After seven days, it led the box office with a total of 592,681 entries, outperforming the American thriller Smile that drew 243,762 viewers.
During its second week, the film added 429,138 admissions to surpass one million cumulative entries (1,021,819), although it dropped to second place behind Simone Veil, A Woman of the Century, which attracted 486,242 viewers. In week three, November remained in second position with an additional 373,241 admissions, trailing behind Black Adam, which amassed 713,308. The subsequent week saw it maintain second place with a slight rise to 387,124 admissions.
By its fifth week, November slipped to fifth place with 225,451 admissions but notably exceeded two million tickets sold. This consistent performance underscores the film’s robust standing within the French cinema market.