November on France 2: a war and cinema machine (review)

Cédric Jimenez’s “film about November 13” wants to be a pure action film and nothing else. And the result turns out to be remarkably effective.

A big cinema success of 2022 (more than 2.3 million spectators in France), Novembre is rebroadcast this Sunday evening on France 2, a few days before the anniversary of the attacks of November 13, 2015. Cédric Jimenez’s thriller, carried by Jean Dujardin, Anaïs Demoustier and Sandrine Kiberain, will be available for streaming the next day on the France Télévisions website. Our review:

After the Bac Nord controversy, Cédric Jimenez said: “A film remains a cinematographic work and it cannot become a political object.” Disagree, but hey, seeing Novemberthings are in fact very clear: the film may tell the story of the hunt for the Bataclan terrorists in the three days following the 2015 attacks, there is definitely no room for any political approach in Jimenez’s cinema space (…)