Initial Review By Jasmine G.
After seeing this movie the other day, I can\'t say that I was disappointed, but I didn\'t really know what to expect. I think it was along the lines where Julian (Pierce Brosnan) started off being the assassin losing his touch and the whole movie would be the absurdities surrounding that event. But we see him succeed in several of his missions and it isn\'t until almost the ending that we see him really burnt out. It is a comedy, but it isn\'t a gut busting comedy, but a gentle laugh kind of comedy if you get my drift. One may even consider it a drama because it does have certain elements of a drama. Julian, the assassin we come to love because of his eccentricities, has dark moments as well as Danny when he uncovers his secret in Mexico.
So the basic of the movie is that we see Julian, this hired assassin, who in the beginning is completely confident, professional, and reserved. On the other hand we have Danny who is nervous, has a streak of bad luck, and generous. They meet in Mexico where Julian shows Danny how to survey the area like an assassin and part ways, with a scuffle between them. We meet these guys six months later, Julian burnt out and Danny with a moustache thriving. They\'ve changed places and we learn that Julian has messed up twice, once in Manila and the other in Bangkok, and that he\'s going to be killed by his boss. And so Danny helps him reluctantly and everyone lives happily ever after.
The acting was pretty good. Brosnan makes a great over the hill assassin, and makes you feel sorry for him because he doesn\'t have anyone besides Danny. I would say that the Golden Globe nomination is in line with his performance. He leaves behind Bond in a way and really delves into this character. He\'s still Bondish, but he\'s able to tackle this role and become the burnt out Julian. Greg Kinnear is also good in this film. He\'s really in his element as a nervous budding entrepreneur and I think this is probably the best role that I\'ve seen him play since Sabrina (yeah yeah chick flick). He\'s got a kind of boyish charm that works well for this film because he\'s supposed to be naive and innocent. On the screen Brosnan and Kinnear work well as they are opposites in appearance and acting styles. We have the crestfallen and bumbling business man versus the suave hitman. Hope Davis as well has a great supporting role as Kinnear\'s wife and the writing of the character as well as her acting bring out how much \"Bean\" loves and supports Danny despite the bad luck and shows how much he loves her. The writing keeps us guessing as we originally don\'t see what happened in Manila, only that he messed up. And there are certain other moments that are shown later on in the movie that helps us understand why Danny respects and helps Julian when Julian unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep. They become life long friends because of these actions and we want to know the background. We feel compassion for both of the characters and even though there are funny elements, it\'s a relatively serious movie. It\'s not just your typical comedy that has slapstick comedy. I might even liken it to Bad Boys because there are action, drama, and comedic elements. You can\'t really contain it in a genre.
The acting was convincing and I\'m glad that there wasn\'t too much explosions or blood or what not as it would have taken away from the story element. I feel that\'s what is missing from a lot of movies nowadays, especially with comedy or action. We forget that there should be a story line and that we should care about the characters, but with all the huge explosions or drab comedy, we lose sight of the plot. In this movie, we learn about both parties and although we may not feel a connection between ourselves and the actors, we can feel the connection between the characters. It\'s not a masterpiece by any means and you may not want to go the theaters to watch it, but rent it and give it a shot.
Follow Up Review by David B.
What was that? The Matador didn\'t know what kind of movie it wanted to be. Comedy, drama, action, romance, whatever... it was just an odd film. Which could make this a simple review, just rent it if you’re curious. Unfortunately, a review of that length would be unacceptable. So grudgingly, here is why you shouldn\'t see this film, except under extreme conditions.
OK, where to start. How about the storyline. The storyline it\'s self is not an original concept. A lone hit man suffers from a mental break down and snaps. He\'s burned out and needs a vacation. There is only one way to quit, and that\'s to be dead. So he seeks the help of his only friend, who he met randomly one day at a Mexican bar. Sounds decent enough. That right there is probably enough to generate a wide variety of cleverly written scripts. Sadly, what the audience was given is nothing but horrible jokes and odd uncomfortable moments. While the movie was hard to predict, it also was filled with “what the hell is going on†moments and weird story twists. Ick.
The acting was decent, by far not any of the major names best roles. Then again, even good actors need something to work with. Pierce Brosnan could have been an excellent choice for the main character, Julian, due to his previous role as James bond. The way it was gone about was poor at best. The chemistry between his character and the rest of the the cast was almost cruel to the audience. This is not Pierces fault, but instead the way they decided to portray his character. Greg Kinnear\'s character, Danny, is a business man that just randomly stumbles into Julian\'s path. As their beginning interaction plays out, it seems almost unbelievable and crude jokes and statements are randomly made from both parties. From there the film almost transforms into a buddy movie. Ah, yeah, no, not in a good way.
So what about special effects? There wasn\'t anything special about them. A few explosions, acts of god, and random mischief, but nothing that would make anyone go and see the film for them. At least they weren\'t over used like a lot of Hollywood films nowadays. The sound and music was standard for today’s movies.
The movies flow was constantly interrupted by queer random statements made by the characters. Where these statements suppose to be funny or take people off guard? Whatever, it just didn\'t work. At times things would just randomly happen, and then audience would get a “oh, well, that\'s a nice coincidence†type of reason some time later.
Run very far away from this movie. There will probably be a niche group of people that will get a huge kick out of it, how is a mystery but they are out there. If you’re a HUGE Pierce Brosnan fan and have to see every one of his films, just be warned. And if the movie happens to land in your DVD collection, don\'t admit to owning it. It\'s definitely a paper bagger or on-line purchase only. Curiosity still has gotten the best of you? Fine, there is a saving grace here. For those of us that have an occasional social gathering dedicated as “bad movie night†this movie is sure to fit the bill. Just remember the booze. There is probably some college student out there crazy enough to make a drinking game for just such an event. A shot for every unfunny, uncomfortable, or creepy moment would be enough to send a normal person to the emergency room.
"The Matador" opens January 20, 2006 and is rated R. Comedy, Drama. Written and directed by Richard Shepard. Starring Adam Scott, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Pierce Brosnan, Philip Baker Hall.
