{"id":4408,"date":"2010-08-09T11:17:59","date_gmt":"2010-08-09T09:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pinartarhan.com\/blog\/?p=4408"},"modified":"2014-10-01T13:54:39","modified_gmt":"2014-10-01T11:54:39","slug":"sweet-november-starring-keanu-reeves-and-charlize-theron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pinartarhan.com\/blog\/sweet-november-starring-keanu-reeves-and-charlize-theron\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweet November starring Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"Sweet<\/a>
Sweet November starring Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves. 2001 remake of 1968’s Sweet November. Image via http:\/\/img03.blogcu.com\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nelson (Keanu Reeves<\/a>) is an ambitious and selfish young man, with an aspiring career in advertising. He has a somewhat mechanical lifestyle and his most possessed thing is his career. However things are about to change with two nig events: an advertising pitch gone wrong and an eccentric yet beautiful young woman named Sara (Charlize Theron<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Nelson needs to retake a test for his driving license and in an attempt to cheat, he gets Sara in trouble. Annoyed and intrigued, Sara asks for Nelson\u2019s (driving) hand. Nelson thinks Sara is crazy and wants her to stay away. However Sara has much bigger plans for him, as she wants him to be her \u201cNovember\u201d…<\/p>\n

Nelson realizes he has more serious problems than Sara \u2013 he ends up getting fired and dumped by his girlfriend (a very small appearance by Gilmore Girls\u2019 Lorelai, Lauren Graham<\/a>). Sara keeps trying to get his attention and persuade him to spend November with her. Sara thinks that if Nelson moves in with her for a month, she can get his priorities straight and he can just learn to enjoy life. A reluctant Nelson finally gives in to spend a night with Sara, and then one day only. However soon, Nelson is fascinated by how different she is and how she doesn\u2019t care about what others think.\u00a0 It also helps that she is pretty and well…Nelson is starting to enjoy the new lifestyle where he is not a slave to an office, watch or cell-phone. However things can\u2019t be perfect forever. There will be a chance for Nelson to get his career back. And even if he can resist the temptation of being a high-powered career man again, Sara just seems too fragile and weak at times. And why is she hung up on spending only a month, when Nelson is really falling for her? What is she keeping from him?<\/p>\n

Despite being a far-fetched and weird concept, it is also a refreshing and original how Sara chose her next boyfriend for a month and work on him as if he is a project. Well, at least it was original when Herman Raucher wrote the screenplay of Sweet November in 1968 .<\/p>\n

Another refreshing thing about the film is the two guys who play her cross-dressing male neighbors as one of them is played by Jason Isaacs\u00a0 (the evil English soldier from The Patriot<\/a>) and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor of Smallville). And obviously, Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves are easy on the eye and Sara\u2019s zest for life and her reluctance to live by other people\u2019s rules is something you can relate to.<\/p>\n

But despite loving the actors, and being a romantic, I find it highly unrealistic (yes, unrealistic even for a romantic drama) for a man like Nelson to turn into the boyfriend of any girl\u2019s dreams just in like 2 weeks? Well, how he agreed to Sara\u2019s deal is even a stretch! And even if you decide to pretend you bought into it for the sake of the leads, you are supposed to get over the fact that a woman in Sara\u2019s condition would really bother with troubled men and teach them things, instead of traveling the world or doing things from crazy to-do lists…And don\u2019t even get me started on the ending.<\/p>\n

Here come the spoilers. Read at your own peril!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me ask you something.\u00a0 Suppose you are dying but you have found the love of your life. He is also very much in love and he wants to stick by your side no matter what.\u00a0 Would you let them go away- no wait- would you make them go away so that they can remember you forever as a pretty girl? Seriously, who does that? He already saw her sick, throwing up and well in a hospital bed and without make-up. He never thought she is ugly so what\u2019s the point on giving up on your final days together? Oh well… Drama for drama\u2019s sake…<\/p>\n

So I did my best to enjoy Sweet November and I like it to a certain extent. But yes, I\u2019ll be honest. I wouldn\u2019t have watched it, had the leads been different. And despite the actors, a good direction, fun supporting cast and a good soundtrack (featuring Enya, Stevie Nicks, K.D. Lang, Barenaked Ladies, Robbie Williams….),<\/a> this movie is off the mark. There is something off, something missing. It\u2019s Nelson\u2019s miraculous transition and Sara\u2019s weird last wish and well…It is not a bad movie. It is just not satisfying and if you didn\u2019t see it, you wouldn\u2019t really have missed a thing. Besides, if you want to see a great romantic drama with Keanu Reeves, there is always A Walk in The Clouds<\/a> and The Lake House<\/a>– much more charming and solid. And if you do want him and Charlize together, watch The Devil\u2019s Advocate<\/a> as it comes with an interesting concept, a brilliant ending and well…Al Pacino.<\/p>\n

Based on the 1968 screenplay. Written by Paul Yurick and Kurt Voelker. Directed by Pat O\u2019 Connor. Rated\u00a0 5.9 on IMDB. The original is rated at 6.8.<\/p>\n

5\/10 from me.<\/p>\n

Other Posts featuring Sweet November<\/strong><\/p>\n

15 Movie and TV Singing Moments: Featuring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jennifer Aniston, Keanu Reeves and More<\/a><\/p>\n

Posts Featuring Keanu Reeves<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keanu Reeves Trivia 101<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Watcher Movie Review<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Something\u2019s Gotta Give Movie Review<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Lake House Movie Review<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lovely and Weird: \u201cThe Private Lives of Pippa Lee\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jon Bon Jovi and Keanu Reeves<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Brad Pitt or Keanu Reeves?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A Walk in The Clouds movie review<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

6 Celebrities That Aged Well<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Can he or can\u2019t he?: \u00a0Keanu Reeves Trivia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Top 5 Movie Endings- featuring The Devil\u2019s Advocate info<\/a><\/p>\n