Pierce Brosnan is a past-his-prime hitman who strikes
up an unlikely friendship with mild-mannered businessman Greg Kinnear. Likeable
characters and an intriguing conclusion make up for a contrived premise.
When
Hollywood screenwriters want to make a criminal likeable, as often as not they
make the character a hitman (see Prizzi’s Honor, Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
etc.) So it is with Pierce Brosnan in The Matador, which pairs him up
with mild-mannered businessman Greg Kinnear. The first part, set in Mexico City, especially is
reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino films, with its mixture of gaudy graphics,
quirky/retro-cool soundtrack, and offbeat personalities. The violence, however,
is much more toned down, and eventually the film settles down into a more or
less likeable buddy comedy. Brosnan looks like a retired James Bond (which he
is) with a constant two-day stubble. There’s something contrived about the
scenario that I think kept me from rating this a little higher. But Brosnan and
Kinnear make a nice pair, and the resolution of the story is intriguing.
circulated via email 1/5/06; posted online and slightly revised 9/19/13
The original version of this review had The Grifters in place of Prizzi’s Honor. I had the plots mixed up.
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