Writer: Rainer Sarnet (Screenplay) Andrus Kivirahk (Novel)
Starring: Rea Lest, Jordan Liik, Arvo Kukumagi, Katariina Unt, Taavi Eelmaa, Heino Kalm, Meelis Rammeld
Plot: In this tale of love and survival in 19th century Estonia, peasant girl Liina longs for village boy Hans, but Hans is inexplicably infatuated by the visiting German baroness that possesses all that he longs for. For Liina, winning Hans’ requited love proves incredibly complicated in this dark, harsh landscape where spirits, werewolves, plagues, and the devil himself converge, where thievery is rampant, and where souls are highly regarded, but come quite cheap.
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Weird, Wonderful, Mesmerizing
Story: November starts as we meet farmers daughter Liina (Lest) who on her farm has a machine known as a Kratt which is a soul of a deceased person that does work around the farm, everyone has one, but they need to be kept occupied or they cause problems. On the day of the Body of Souls (Which could be considered similar to Day of the Dead) the dead return to their families with Liina meeting handsome village boy Hans (Liik). With love being a cruel game, we see how Liina attracted to Hans gets ignored as he sets his sights on the beautiful Baroness (Hermanis), we are left to see just how far people will go to get attentions of the one they love.
Thoughts on November
Characters – Liina is a farm girl, she will always be a farm girl regardless of how much she hopes for more, she falls in love with a village boy that doesn’t notice her, which leave her to turn to dark arts to win his love. Hans is the village boy that captures the heart of Liina, but he is in love with the Baroness, the mysterious stranger to the area. When we look at the rest of the characters we have a host of colourful characters, from farmers, village, witches and barons, they help show the social status of the characters.
Performances – Rea Lest is the star of the show here, she captures the character wonderfully to leave us fully understand the position her character is in. this doesn’t take away from the rest of the cast that are great through the film too.
Story – When we discuss this story we are going to be trying to example something very confusing, but wonderful to watch. The core of the story is a love story about falling in love with someone above your social status in a 19th century world. This is a story you must experience to truly understand how difficult it is to describe though. Just when you think you have the story wrapped up for its direction it does throw you into a position where you are left wondering just what next.
Fantasy/Romance – The fantasy world we are taken into is original, weird and a place you need to experience, witches, werewolves and spirits. The romance of the film takes us to a place where we see how the people can fall in love with someone that doesn’t notice them.
Settings – The settings keep us in the small village in the 19th century which shows the different beliefs the people are believing in.
Special Effects – The effects being used in this film are wonderful, the Kratt creatures look flawless in this universe.
Scene of the Movie – The opening sequence, because it prepares you for the experience.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – If you blink you might miss something important.
Final Thoughts – This is a unique viewing experience that must be experienced by all film fans, it is beautifully shot and will keep you want to see more of this world.
Overall: Must watch viewing experience.
Rating