The Matador

Pierce Brosnan like you’ve never seen him before. Salt and pepper hair, a full-on mustache, a beer belly (and a beer always in his hand), and holding and pointing several guns throughout the film. Well that last part is quite similar to his late smooth 007 counterpart, but beyond that the movie is quite opposite of the James Bond series. The Matador is always changing; in mood, tone, theme, and it’s vibrant cultural soundtrack. Brosnan’s Julian Noble, an assassin going through a mid-life crisis, is pathetic and sleazy, yet entirely amusing. His new friendship with Greg Kinnear’s desperate goody-goody businessman, Danny Wright, makes a strange and peculiar relationship that revolves around Julian’s profession, but is often sentimental. Hope Davis’ quirky wife of Danny provides some awkward moments that don’t really fit, but overall the marriage is quite sweet. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going on, The Matador throws in a few surprises that are actually quite compassionate in a world where killing people is an acceptable profession.

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis
Director: Richard Shepard
Runtime: 96 minutes