Directed by Richard Shepard
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Philip Baker Hall, Dylan Baker.
RATING: ****
Pierce Brosnan was a well-liked light comedy actor before landing the role of James Bond 007 in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987). Unfortunately, fate decreed that he would lose the role to Timothy Dalton. In 1995, the role eventually became his - in the first Bond film for six years, GOLDENEYE (1995). Arguably, he became the most loved actor in the role since Sean Connery, reflected in the fantastic box-office achieved for his four films in the role. As if 007 would always be a bittersweet experience for him, he was, amidst much confusion, replaced by Daniel Craig in 2005, an actor who will probably prove to be an excellent Bond (he is a versatile actor) but is replacing an actor who millions would have liked to continue in the role. (The rumors are that Brosnan wanted too much money and was thought to be getting too old.)
It is hard to review THE MATADOR without mentioning Brosnan's tenure as 007. What we have here is a brave actor deconstructing his image. (Brosnan sent up his image a lot more gently in 1999's THE TAILOR OF PANAMA.) Julian Noble is a cold-blooded assassin (or 'a facilitator of fatalities') with deviant tendencies and millions in the bank. He is dishevelled, ageing, unsociable, as he describes himself 'a magnificently cold moron'. On an assignment in Mexico, there are the beginnings of a nervous breakdown. Julian is losing his edge. He befriends a failed businessman, Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) in the city, and starts to discover that perhaps he does have the vestiges of a soul. But what good is an assassin with a conscience and a habit of screwing up high-profile assignments?...
Greg Kinnear is a gifted actor with a great ability to switch from comedy to dramatics in an instant. He is instantly likeable and so a perfect foil for Brosnan's emotionally damaged hitman. Hope Davis, as his beloved wife, fleshes out her part extremely well and creates a memorable character. But make no mistake about it, this is Brosnan's picture all the way - his perfect '.... you' to all those who would write him off as a lightweight actor. It is also an astonishing kind of immediate goodbye to the role of 007. Anyone seeing him in this film, foul-mouthed, crude, ageing, breaking down emotionally, walking through a hotel lobby in skintight swimming trunks and cowboy boots...would have to look at the actor in a different way and ascertain that, hey - it was an actor playing Bond and not a mannequin. His 007 was so great because he played it so damn well.
The second star of the show is writer-director Richard Shepard, who has fashioned a film which, whilst generic on the surface, bears a huge heart, dark humor and sheer craft. Also, great style - I loved those huge location cards and the restless editing. Story-wise, one never really knows where the film is heading, which makes it a compelling and engaging experience. There are also subtle points throughout the film, like the fact that fate seems to have a hand in throwing Julian and Danny together. (They always seem to be near each other, or on each other's minds subconsciously.) I also liked the lead characters' surnames - Noble, as in Julian being drawn to the world of the matador, hence the title, because of the honor and nobility he sees in the profession, and Wright, as in Danny being a righteous and good man (who reawakens Julian's sleeping soul). For a superficially light film, there is intelligence at work beneath, and it rises to the surface.
THE MATADOR is not as funny or as action-packed as one might expect it to be, but that is a compliment since it is more subtle than one might expect. (And it IS extremely funny in a crude, vulgar, un-PC way, and exciting when it needs to be.) David Tattersall (DIE ANOTHER DAY, 2002)'s photography makes a low-budget film look like a huge production, and the art direction is excellent, minimal locations believably looking like multiple international locations. The resolution of the film is not surprising, but the journey is. Brosnan's character is genuinely complex, and a difficult role to play, which makes his performance, which comes loaded with baggage, all the more impressive. Julian is an ....hole, but he is a funny, self aware ....hole, and not beyond redemption. Crucially, his 'odd couple' friendship with Kinnear comes off wonderfully, and the pair have genuine chemistry.
THE MATADOR is a modern classic, if only for the wonderful scene where the leads visit a bullfight and Brosnan teaches Kinnear how to do a perfect 'hit'. If you enjoyed SEXY BEAST (2000), a film I strongly recommended you watch, you will enjoy this flick. (They have similar styles, involve Spanish speaking locations, dream sequences, criminals at the end of their tether, dark humor...) THE MATADOR is also a film that will also be different things on different viewings, depending on your mood or what you bring to it.
Trivia - Pierce Brosnan produced the film with his production partner, Beau St. Clair. Apparently the original script was even racier regarding Brosnan's character. Brosnan asked for the role to be toned down at the last moment, scared of overloading the film and scaring his fans. The film had around 30 minutes deleted from it's first cut, mostly scenes deemed extraneous due to the quality of the acting and the chemistry of the leads. Miramax Pictures bought the rights to the film at the very last moment of the Sundance Festival. Despite great reviews (especially from Roger Ebert, who was spot on), the film only grossed around $10m in the US. The film is an American- Mexican- German- Irish co-production, and in Germany is known as MORD UN MARGARITAS - or 'Murder and Margaritas'. Love the tiltle!! A fun drinking game would be to take a sip or a hit every time a character drinks or is in the vicinity of a Corona beer - the most blatant product placement I have ever seen. Perhaps if I am bored one day, I will try to spot all the occasions!
THE MATADOR is available on R1 and R2. It has not yet been released on Japanese R2.
Edited by manfromjapan, 26 September 2006 - 05:01 PM.
