Sweet November

The Devil’s Advocate stars Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron capably replace Anthony Newly and Sandy Denis in this glossy remake of the fragile 1968 love story. He plays a workaholic San Francisco ad man who loses his girlfriend through neglect and his job while aggressively marketing a multi-million-dollar hot dog account. She plays a sort of retro free spirit who takes a new lover under her wing each month for informal therapy in her funky flat. This tragi-romantic story about seizing the moment and emotional extinction includes a clichéd gay best friend and neighbor (Jason Isaacs) and a precocious, fatherless child (Liam Aiken). Its premise is intriguing, but its execution leaves a trail of pre-fab rather than organic conflicts and resolutions. Directed by Pat O’Connor (Inventing the Abbotts).