The Matador

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear
Directed by: Richard Shepard
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Crime
2005

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A salesman (Greg Kinnear) randomly meets a hitman (Pierce Brosnan) who has lost his touch. The two form an unlikely friendship, which ultimately has consequences for both that they did not see coming.

Review:

Tim: This is one really funny movie. I heard that it was supposed to be, especially with Pierce Brosnan striking a few jabs at his Bond character. I was not prepared for how funny Brosnan would be, or how much fun he would have with the role. He embraces this opportunity and goes all out.

This movie, on the surface, shouldn't be that great. The film is weak in certain spots, specifically in regards to the plot. There are stretches where the film is brilliant, and stretches of utter boredom. The plot is farily weak throughout. Luckily, the performance of its two stars save this movie.

Brosnan is devilishly funny throughout the movie. A great deal of this comes from the fact that he was the ultra cool James Bond. This role is such a change, such a polar opposite, that we can't help but laugh. For this reason, there is not another actor in Hollywood that could have given as good of a performance. Brosnan is the the only actor that could have given the performance needed to save this movie. He is helped by his co-star, Greg Kinnear. For every bit of craziness that Brosnan lets loose, Kinnear had to play the straight man to balance the film out. If you need someone to play the straight man, Kinnear is your guy.

The Matador is a flawed film, but one that is very, very funny. I laughed out loud numerous times, and found myself having a terrific time. Brosnan is in rare form here, and it is completely worth seeing.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Goldeneye, The World is Not Enough, The Tailor of Panama