The Matador (2005)

Director:

Richard Shepard

Writer (WGA):

Richard Shepard (written by)

Release Date:

27 January 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A hitman and a salesman walk into a bar...

Plot:

A globetrotting hitman and a crestfallen businessman meet in a hotel bar in Mexico City in an encounter that draws them together in a way neither expected.

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Bar | Hitman | Killing | Job

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Pierce Brosnan	...	Julian Noble
Arlin Miller	...	Radio DJ (voice)
Azucena Medina	...	Young Denver Fling
Jonah Meyerson	...	Ten Year Old Boy
Wiveca Bonerais	...	Ten Year Old Boy's Mother
Greg Kinnear	...	Danny Wright
Hope Davis	...	Carolyn 'Bean' Wright
Adam Scott	...	Phil Garrison
Portia Dawson	...	Genevive
Roberto Sosa	...	Skinny Mexican Man
Antonio Zavala	...	Hotel Bartender 1
Ramon Alvarez	...	Shooting Stand Owner
Luz Maria Molina	...	School Girl
Philip Baker Hall	...	Mr. Randy
Carolyn Horwitz	...	Cantina Turista #1

Also Known As:

Mord und Margaritas (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content and language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Ireland

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Iceland:16 | Sweden:11 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R13 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:11 | USA:R | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Centro Histórico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company:

Stratus Film Co.

Trivia:

The film was shot in just 40 days in and around Mexico City.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Danny meets Julian in the bar, in the close-up, he's holding his drink by the glass; in the wider shot, he's suddenly holding it by the stem.

Quotes:

Julian Noble: I'd only be interested in your mother if she lost 20 pounds and 30 years.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Yes Man (2008)

Soundtrack:

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Stunning performance by Brosnan sadly wrapped in a mediocre film

A hit-man who is The Dude and Bad Santa both at once.

Pierce Brosnan is at his best and most hilarious in Richard Sherpherd's The Matador (2005), as a booze-drenched over the hill hit-man who loves bullfights, tacky clothes and teenage girls. It is his unapologetic lust for the latter that provide some great laughs in the film.. There is nothing funnier than hearing a sleazy, broken-down version of James Bond exclaim after ogling some Catholic schoolgirls, "God I hate these Catholic countries; it's all blushy blushy, no suckie fuckie."

So Brosnan has a terrifically dirty mouth in The Matador and this is juxtaposed with Greg Kinnear's goody-goody family man character in their newfound, unlikely friendship. Both these characters elicit real sympathy, but especially Brosnan who should be a very unlikable character, a man desperate for a meaningful relationship in his life but just can't stop himself from saying the wrong things. We follow these two very different men as they learn from each other and start changing their lives, projecting equal doses of heart and humour.

The Matador effective in the sense that it mixes absurdity and quirkiness just right and glazes it with a dark comedy coating feel. It is also quite funny thanks to its Brosnan performance, but it does not have much in the way of a plot and no other characters or detours are even worth mentioning - so it is sadly very forgettable. Still, if you are even a slight fan of Brosnan's I urge you to see this film which is easily his greatest performance, and it's a crime he wasn't showered with awards for it.

6.5/10