Since he finished playing James Bond twelve years ago, Pierce Brosnan has tried his hand in a variety of genres, from comedy (The Matador) to musical (Mamma Mia!). However, as the trope of older action heroes kicking major amounts of butt has become the bread and butter of stars like Liam Neeson, Brosnan has avoided roles that remind us of 007. Now, however, the 61-year-old actor hopes to rekindle the flame of Bond for the new thriller The November Man, which comes out on Wednesday, August 27.
In The November Man, directed by Roger Donaldson (The Bank Job), Brosnan plays Peter Devereaux, an ex-CIA agent who comes back into the fore to protect a valuable witness. He ends up going head-to-head with a former pupil, played by Luke Bracey (who will play Johnny Utah in the Point Break remake). Olga Kurylenko, who also has a connection to the 007 franchise, plays the witness, Alice Fournier.
While the plot synopsis is generic, Brosnan is a major catch for a grizzled, gritty role like this one. Save for his cameo in last summer’s The World’s End, he has not been associated with many action parts over the last decade. Based on this trailer, he fits comfortably in the role and his gravitas as an actor and action star could elevate a rote storyline. So, if you want a taste of James Bond as you await details about the upcoming 007 installment, The November Man should be good entertainment.
The only concern I have is that the trailer has reached the Internet a mere five weeks before the release date, which is rarely a sign of studio confidence. However, the last Wednesday in August is a big release date for more sophisticated thrillers, to leave a nice taste at the end of a summer full of blockbuster behemoths. The November Man does look a bit more frenetic than other late-summer releases like The Debt and Closed Circuit, and could be a nice hit to close out the season.
Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.
