Product Details

• Actors: Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Jason Isaacs, Greg Germann, Liam Aiken
• Directors: Pat O'Connor
• Writers: Herman Raucher, Paul Yurick, Kurt Voelker
• Producers: Wendy Wanderman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• VHS Release Date: December 11, 2001
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005JY1B
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,503 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The 1968 version of Sweet November was a frothy fable that worked, for the most part, due to the charmingly offbeat chemistry of costars Sandy Dennis and Anthony Newley. For this turn-of-the-millennium remake, Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron do their best to ground the fable in a more sophisticated reality, but that's just what this movie doesn't need. The premise is preposterous to begin with, so we need credible fantasy to leap over chasms of logic and ease into what should be a tear-jerking variation of Love Story. It's certainly possible to get suckered into the movie's sticky-sweet romance, but you'll need extra effort to suspend your disbelief.

Theron is Sara, who pathologically lures men into romance for one month at a time, "helping" them before moving onto the next month's catch. She's avoiding long-term commitments because she's deathly ill--a fact revealed by hundreds of prescription bottles hidden in her medicine cabinet. Reeves is Nelson, the fast-lane advertising executive who reluctantly becomes Sara's Mr. November. He's insulting and callous until he learns the truth, at which point director Pat O'Connor makes a 180-degree tone shift that cannot possibly succeed. Theron makes the most of her movie-sickness routine, but Reeves is out of his depth, and not one but two romantic montages (set to the music of Enya, no less) only emphasize the movie's abundant clichés (the most obvious being The Patriot's Jason Isaacs as Theron's supportive gay neighbor). Cry if you must, but don't let anyone catch you. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming, moving, uplifting, and surprisingly good!, July 24, 2001

By	D. Litton (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sweet November (DVD)

Charlize Theron brings on her charm, and Keanu Reeves turns in a surprisingly worthy performance in "Sweet November," a movie that's as light as a fall breeze. Slammed by most critics as a soggy romance with no star chemistry, the movie's premise centers around two people who, through an unlikely series of events, fall in love, though not without hardship.

Let it be known, the movie is not that bad. In fact, when put in comparison with movies like "Bounce" and "The Wedding Planner," "Sweet November" is actually kind of refreshing in it's own little way. Yes, the way in which the two develop their romance is a bit tough to swallow at first, but if you can ignore that and allow their growing relationship to touch your heart, then the movie succeeds on those terms.

Keanu Reeves plays Nelson Moss, a man who is all work and no play (when leaving for work one morning, he tells his girlfriend, "I have a life, and I'm late for it") as a big ad executive. While taking a test at the DMV, he runs into Sara Deever, played by Charlize Theron, who gives him an answer and gets caught cheating. What does Sara do? She milks the situation for everything she can in order to get Nelson to her home.

Her offer? To allow him to live in her house for a month, no more, no less, in order to help him get rid of all of his life's stresses and restrictions. She takes it to the extreme, too, giving his clothes to a homeless man, telling him he cannot go to work (he got fired, anyway), and taking him out into the town to show him the ways in which life can be fun.

Like any movie relationship, there are complications. Sara is reluctant to reveal anything about her past or her family, or her reasons for taking in a new man each month. All she will reveal is what she does to help each one of them. Near the end, there will come a revelation that will put the stability of their bond in jeopardy.

It seems preposterous, but with a movie like this, the events come in such an order that you can forgive these little pitfalls. Their budding romance really does have a kick to it, and despite the outside criticism, Theron and Reeves do have some good onscreen chemistry that lights up the screen in moments and provides for some very touching moments.

The film also has a lot of warm-hearted laughs. A scene in which Sara stands outside Nelson's apartment and begins shouting risque comments at people in order to gain his attention will have you chuckling, while her neighbors, two homosexuals who host a dinner party for the four of them in drag, are a riot. And the overall sweet nature of the relationship between the two is something to smile about, as well as shed a few tears over.

In one of his better roles, Keanu Reeves is convincingly emotional as Nelson. In the beginning, her perfectly portrays the egotistical attitude and outlook of his character, and then makes a very believable segue to someone who is so in love he is willing to change his whole life. Charlize Theron is, as always, a gem, bringing a touch of warmth and cheerfulness to her role as Sara. Her acting embodies her character with the zest for life needed to sell us on Sara's motives, and Theron captures that completely.

While it's not on par with many other romances on the market, "Sweet November" is nowhere near as bad as critics have made it out to be. In fact, it's a charming movie that is very uplifting, due in part to the moving relationship that Reeves and Theron bring to their characters. It met all of my expectations, which were few, but the fact that it met them is enough to recommend the film.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Ending Is Not Obvious, September 26, 2004

By	Tim R. Niles "Nomad" (Silicon Valley) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One of the prior reviews stated that the ending was obvious in the first ten minutes; must have written the script.

There are very few romantic drama/comedies where the two characters part in anything like this way, nor does the illness of the Theron character get revealed until the middle of the film. Certainly, the approach of the Theron character to her life is very unusual.

Several of the reviewers noted that SF is beautifully photographed, almost perfectly photographed, to match the moods of the film. I agree.

I've watched it about four times, and probably will watch it several more times. The film's mix just works!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars BAD BAD Ending, July 27, 2001

By	Darius Thomson (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet November (DVD)

I'm a guy, and don't generally appreciate "Chick Flicks," but this one started out all right. My wife wanted to see this movie, and I'll admit- I like Theron and Reeve's chemistry in Devil's Advocate, although their relationship in that movie ended even worse then theirs in this picture. I went to see the movie, and it had an enjoyable enough beginning as the cliche's of the movie were Hammered into the audience.

Reeve's character is a stiff suit, obsessed with himself, his talent and his career- he Lives for his job, and is not a healthy person. He is wholly self- absorbed, and has no real love for anyone but himself; his success at work is driven by his desire to satisfy his ego. He is obsessed with satisfying himself, by distancing himself as far as possible from his humble beginnings.

Theron's character is a flighty lovable leftist- PeTA type who liberates huggable puppies from evil experimental labs and gives them happy homes... . They are "better off" for having met her. Basically, she's a ...who shacks up with a guy to show him how twisted his life is without having Heavy amounts of leftist vitality. Granted, the character is a LOT more likeable than that of Any of Reeve's characters business partners, and her quirks are all lovable- but the viewer must realize that her intentions are flawed; she doesn't make any room for real love...

After the characters are detailed, and after they fall in love, the message of the movie self- destructs.

Reeve's finds out Theron is dying. Theron displays incredible selfishness by distancing herself from Reeves. She shuts him out, because she doesn't want him to see her as weak, basically rejecting Reeves love. Reeves goes to great lengths to see Theron, and eventually succeeds, forcing her to talk to him (Stalker!). He proposes marriage, and she rejects him. She admits she is dying, and wants him to leave her alone- forcing him to give up his love for her. It seems all hope is lost, and eventually- both characters give up all hope for a miracle recovery, and decide that even though they're MADLY in love, it's best if they never see each other again.

Who in their right mind would shut out their loved ones during their last days? Ironically, throughout the movie, Theron's character was doing just that. She had been refusing to see her family, because she didn't want Them to see her dying... at the end of the movie, she decides to allow them to see her, but STILL shuts Reeves out. She trades one bit of faulty logic for another. The movie seems to say, "It's ok to shut out the people who you love when you're dying. There is no hope for recovery from terminal illness. When you're dying, romantic love is too tragic to deal with..."

If I were in Reeve's characters position, and I allowed her to walk away at the end of the movie- I'd hate myself forever...

If I were Theron's character, and realized I'd only have one more minute to live, I probably would agonize during that last minute- wishing I'd be able to hold my loved ones hand...

Maybe it's just me, but I think this movie just ended terribly.