The Matador (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Julian Noble is a jaded and lonely hitman going through a mid-life crisis. Danny Wright is a mild mannered salesman whose business is struggling. They meet one another in a chance encounter while on business trips in Mexico City and from there the two form an unlikely and awkward… More
  Julian Noble is a jaded and lonely hitman going through a mid-life crisis. Danny Wright is a mild mannered salesman whose business is struggling. They meet one another in a chance encounter while on business trips in Mexico City and from there the two form an unlikely and awkward friendship that begins to have a profound effect on them. If the image of a moustachioed Pierce Brosnan wearing cowboy boots and a speedo intrigues you, then this is a movie for you. Brosnan is delightful as Julian, and you can tell he's having fun making little jabs at his tenure as James Bond. As Danny, Greg Kinnear makes for a solid foil against Brosnan's Julian, and he's good, though overshadowed. Hope Davis is also rather funny as Danny's loving wife who reacts to Julian in a surprisingly funny way. The film is a dark comedy, with some elements of action and intrigue, and it mostly works, but even then, the tone is all over the place, and it seems difficult to sometiems tell what the film wants to be. It's still pretty agreeable and very entertaining though. The story isn't spectacular, but the performances and likeability of the characters make it work. If you want something fun and different, then check this out.

• Bruce B

  
  A pretty good film about a hitman (Pierce Brosnan), who meets a pretty normal guy with a life full of bad luck (Greg Kinnear). They become friends and our hitman is losing his skills. He shows up at Danny's house to enlisted him in one last hit before he retires. Its an enjoyable… More
  A pretty good film about a hitman (Pierce Brosnan), who meets a pretty normal guy with a life full of bad luck (Greg Kinnear). They become friends and our hitman is losing his skills. He shows up at Danny's house to enlisted him in one last hit before he retires. Its an enjoyable film a little comedy with Action Adventure. 3 1/2 stars.

• Ross C

  
  Perfect for brainless light entertainment after a hard day of work. Pierce Brosnan is always great in silly roles and they don't come much sillier than a hit man with a crisis of confidence.

• Mark W

  
  I'm not quite sure why I even watched this film as I'm adverse to torturing myself, watching Pierce Brosnan. However, his role is very different from anything he's done before so thought I'd give it a go. He plays Julian Noble, a freelance hitman who is past his… More
  I'm not quite sure why I even watched this film as I'm adverse to torturing myself, watching Pierce Brosnan. However, his role is very different from anything he's done before so thought I'd give it a go. He plays Julian Noble, a freelance hitman who is past his best and going through a mid-life crisis. Needless to say, this is starting to affect his duties and making his powerful and dangerous employers very nervous. He can still bump someone off with great skill but realises he wants more from life. When he meets travelling salesman Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear), an ordinary guy striving to make a living, a friendship grows between them. A friendship, that Julian has never had before but also doesn't really know what to do with, considering there has been a lack of human contact throughout his life. This is a film that relies on the opposites of it's characters and for the most part it works. Brosnan falters on the odd occasion though and fails to deliver some very witty dialogue with the right tone, but on the whole, he puts in an enjoyable performance, from what is probably the finest role he's ever had. The scene where he strolls through the hotel lobby in his winklepicker boots and speedos is priceless and shows the commitment he has for shuffling off the role of '007'. This particular scene is a standout and there are a few like it but overall it's slightly uneven in tone, shifting from humour to pathos, not entirely convincingly and can't quite decide what it wants to be. Thanks to the two leads though, it's kept ticking over nicely enough to keep you entertained.

• Anthony L

  
  I quite liked this film. I found Pierce Brosnan to be surprisingly good! I think he might just make it out of being type cast for the rest of his life now. It?s also a great script. 'Mexico has the best margaritas...and cock!' He he

• Al S

  
  An absolute good time at the movies. Pierce Bronson gives his best perfromance yet, he's a riot of genious and hilarity. It's one of those roles that can redefine a career. Greg Kinnear is teriffic. Hope Davis is wonderful. A wild and endlessley fun buddy comedy. Bronson and… More
  An absolute good time at the movies. Pierce Bronson gives his best perfromance yet, he's a riot of genious and hilarity. It's one of those roles that can redefine a career. Greg Kinnear is teriffic. Hope Davis is wonderful. A wild and endlessley fun buddy comedy. Bronson and Kinnear are the oddest and best odd couple to hit the screen in years. They have teriffic chemistry together. It has heart in it and balences witty comedy with equalley impressive drama. One of the years most enjoyable surprises. A pure shot of humor, heart, suspense and style in a really original thriller. It's the type of film that just puts you in your seat and brings on the fun. Solid entertainment and enjoyment from begining to end.

• Jens S

  
  Everyone who always though Pierce Brosnan had reached a dead end by playing James Bond will have to think again. Just when you least expect it he plays a moustached, drinking assassin, who walks around in speedos and boots and starts an unlikely friendship with a unlucky salesman in… More
  Everyone who always though Pierce Brosnan had reached a dead end by playing James Bond will have to think again. Just when you least expect it he plays a moustached, drinking assassin, who walks around in speedos and boots and starts an unlikely friendship with a unlucky salesman in this thriller comedy. The result delivers a lot of really great lines between the two as their relationship becomes surprisingly beneficial for both and both actors have the opportunity to shine, although this is admittedly Brosnan's show. How he switches between competent killer, creepy womanizer and whiny loser and yet makes the audience feel for the sadness behind his facade is pretty entertaining, sometimes even touching to watch. And a movie ending with The Killers' "All these things that I've done" can't be bad, per definition.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"A hitman and a salesman walk into a bar..."</i> A chance meeting between two middle-aged men leads one into a life of crime in this offbeat comedy. Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) is an American businessman whose life has been going through a sour patch after he… More
  <i>"A hitman and a salesman walk into a bar..."</i> A chance meeting between two middle-aged men leads one into a life of crime in this offbeat comedy. Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) is an American businessman whose life has been going through a sour patch after he and his wife, Carolyn (Hope Davis), lost their young son. During a business trip to Mexico City, Danny strikes up a conversation in a hotel bar with fellow out-of-towner Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan), and while Julian's loud and brassy manner initially puts Danny off, in time the two become friends, and Julian feels comfortable enough with Danny to tell him what he does for a living. It seems Julian is a hired killer working under the auspices of underworld kingpins Lovell (Dylan Baker) and Mr. Randy (Philip Baker Hall), and Julian tries to persuade Danny to help him with his latest assignment. Danny refuses, but a few months later a distraught Julian appears unannounced on Danny's doorstep. It seems Julian has blown his two most recent assignments due to a variety of psychosomatic illnesses, and now Lovell and Mr. Randy want him dead. Julian has also done something to put Danny in his debt, and the previously non-criminal businessman is forced to help his friend stage a hit, with Julian's presence in his home upsetting the precarious balance of Danny and Carolyn's marriage. <b><u>Review</u></b> This is by far one of the best roles Brosnan has ever done as he is both charming and despicable at the same time as Julian Noble. He has some of the best one-liners in the film, such as "I'd only be interested in your mother if she lost 20 pounds and 30 years" and "I look like a Bangkok hooker on a Sunday morning, after the navy's left town" to name a couple. Brosnan proves there is life after Bond and creates a wonderful character in Julian Noble, much like Johhny Depp did with Jack Sparrow. Gone are the Armani suits and suave style, in are cowboy boots and a cheesy 70s porn star mustache. Despite Julian's job "facilitator of fatality", the character is likable and funny. Kinnear does a good job as the quintessential 'nice guy who's down on his luck' and befriends Julian, despite his character flaws. One of the best independent film I've seen in a while. It will leave you thinking, did Julian kill Danny's competition? Did Danny kill Mr. Stick? Smart, funny , engaging, interesting, this film has it all.

• Derek A

  
  <i>"I need a break. There's no retirement home for assassins is there? Archery at four. Riflery at five. "</i> If I was forced to give each movie a one word review, the Matador would be: POINTLESS. This isn't a negative review, it's actually more… More
  <i>"I need a break. There's no retirement home for assassins is there? Archery at four. Riflery at five. "</i> If I was forced to give each movie a one word review, the Matador would be: POINTLESS. This isn't a negative review, it's actually more of an impartial review. There is nothing to be derived from this film as it exists solely to wallow in its own mediocrity. I'm a little angry with this movie because I thought it was profoundly amusing and witty. The dialog is quick, clever, and funny. The plot is rich and engrossing. But where this movie fails is in the ending. I was wondering how in the world the writers were going to end this film... maybe something deep and dark, or a big twist. Instead, it just abruptly ends. It's probably one of the most disappointing conclusions to a good film I've seen in a long time. Pierce Brosnan put in a stellar performance as hitman Jullian Noble. Greg Kinnear, however, was annoying and unintriguing as always. When the credits roll, I don't feel anything for this movie. It has a few good quotes, and it's a good buddy flick... but there's not much substance. Completely forgettable...... <i>"A Vietnamese girl I once knew had her legs so locked together I couldn't get a whiff of her spring roll. Two drinks, half a quaalude later, I was at an all you can eat buffet. Every lock can be broken."</i>

• Chris G

  
  The matador is about a hitman (Pierce Brosnan) who has killed one too many corporate executives and is quickly burning out. While on assignment in Mexico he meets Greg Kinnear, who is trying to get an account from a company in Mexico City and the two attempt to help each other solve… More
  The matador is about a hitman (Pierce Brosnan) who has killed one too many corporate executives and is quickly burning out. While on assignment in Mexico he meets Greg Kinnear, who is trying to get an account from a company in Mexico City and the two attempt to help each other solve their respective problems. This film is a weird sort of buddy picture that revolves around the opposite worlds of Kinnear and Brosnan. They happen upon each other one night in a hotel bar and end up fascinated by eachother. Brosnan's Julian is amazed that this man is someone he likes to talk to even though he socially can't interact with him and Danny (Kinnear) is just amazed to be in the presence of a hitman. The real standout is Pierce, who carries the film with his vulgar, rough portrayal of the burned out hitman. This is a great 180 for the actor who seems to be trying to shed away the Bond image that has plagued him for 20 years (come on, we thought it would be him instead of Dalton). Brosnan proves that there is life after Bond even if you're not Sean Connery.

• Aaron N

  
  Julian Noble: I need a break. There's no retirement home for assassins is there? Archery at four. Riflery at five. A fun, dark hitman-comedy with its main draw being the strings of hilarious one-liners that Brosnan gives. Julian Noble: I'm as serious as an erection… More
  Julian Noble: I need a break. There's no retirement home for assassins is there? Archery at four. Riflery at five. A fun, dark hitman-comedy with its main draw being the strings of hilarious one-liners that Brosnan gives. Julian Noble: I'm as serious as an erection problem. The story involves Brosnan as Julian Noble, a hit man who is going through a midlife crisis and really needs to retire from killing people. He meets Greg Kinnear as Danny in Mexico City, and the two form a sort of friendship. Danny is in Mexico to hopefully secure a business deal. While staying on, Julian keeps him company and tells him what he does and even shows him how in a way. After Julian helps Danny in some way, they meet again a year later, as Julian shows up at Danny's door asking for help. Julian Noble: I look like a Bangkok hooker on a Sunday morning, after the navy's left town. The story is very good. It also has a little bit of heart and some twists along the way. A good soundtrack accompanies the film, featuring a wide variety of songs to accompany the various visuals going through the film. The actors are very good. Kinnear is very likable, Brosnan is very good playing against type, and you also have some other character actors including Hope Davis, Philip Baker Hall, and Dylan Baker. A very enjoyable movie. [trying to convince Danny to help him on a hit] Julian Noble: Come on! It'll be a good time! Danny Wright: Oh, so now killing people is a good time? Julian Noble: ...Can be.

• Daniel P

  
  "I'm a fucking parody!!" - it makes the whole movie, and Pierce Brosnan is really good. The whole thing seems almost to be a piece-by-piece undoing of the James Bond cool we'd expect a Brosnan-portrayed assassin to possess. Really interesting little flick, Greg… More
  "I'm a fucking parody!!" - it makes the whole movie, and Pierce Brosnan is really good. The whole thing seems almost to be a piece-by-piece undoing of the James Bond cool we'd expect a Brosnan-portrayed assassin to possess. Really interesting little flick, Greg Kinnear didn't wow me though...

• Cindy I

  
  Interesting. Pierce Brosnan playing totally against his Steele/Bond suave-guy image. He's a hoot, plus the film gives you things to think about.

• Michael S

  
  One of the biggest and best suprises of 2005.

• Cassandra M

  
  Greetings again from the darkness. Much anticipated, twisted comedy from writer/director Richard Shepard is a coming out party for Pierce Brosnan the actor. That Bond guy is gone. This new guy is something else entirely!! Have read that Shepard thought Brosnan was too much the pretty… More
  Greetings again from the darkness. Much anticipated, twisted comedy from writer/director Richard Shepard is a coming out party for Pierce Brosnan the actor. That Bond guy is gone. This new guy is something else entirely!! Have read that Shepard thought Brosnan was too much the pretty boy for this plum role, but Brosnan proves to be the perfect Julian Noble, "Facilitator" ... and is anything but pretty! Do not underestimate how twisted the humor is in this one. If you go, expect punch lines and sight gags regarding all types of sex, killing, religion, sports, business and anything else you might deem politically incorrect. Brosnan takes an excellent script to another level with his marvelous facial gestures and physical movements. Even sitting on a hotel bed (with or without a sombrero) is a joy to behold. Greg Kinnear is the straight guy to Brosnan's comic and has plenty of depth and comic timing to make this partnership click. Hope Davis has a small, but subtly effective supporting role as Kinnear's wife (what's with her name "Bean"?) who happens to get a little excited when she has a facilitator in her living room. The visuals and settings are perfect - including a bullfight, racetrack and Denver suburb. And how often do we get The Killers and Xavier Cugat on the same soundtrack? This one is definitely not for everyone, but if your sense of humor is a bit off center and you enjoy risky film-making, it could be for you.

• Dean M

  
  An okay comedy thriller with Pierce Brosnan as a hit man who makes a good friendship with a salesman while he feels lonely from his job.

• Steve B

  
  Some things I didn't like about this one -- Pierce Brosnan as the down-and-out hitman goes against the Remington Steele of my youth, for example -- but there was so much else I DID like, it rose beyond my already high expectations.

• Michael G

  
  Brosnan hilariously proves there's life after Bond. Don't let ads fool you, this is not an action movie.

• Emily A

  
  This was a small, really good movie. It completely skewers the film cliche of having a hit man living it up in a glamorous lifestyle. This was really refreshing and very very funny. This is Brosnan at the anti-Bond level.

• Nate Z

  
  [color=darkred][center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5787/photo010hn.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Crash – A searing look at race relations and a powerful human drama at… More
  [color=darkred][center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5787/photo010hn.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Crash – A searing look at race relations and a powerful human drama at that. This flick has some of the sharpest memories I’ve had from any movie all year, particularly the relationship between a Hispanic locksmith (Michael Pena) and his daughter and a special invisible cloak. Their first scene, where he talks her out of hiding under her bed, is one of the most beautifully written short scenes I have ever witnessed. A late scene involving the two of them knocked the wind out of me completely and is the most vivid moviegoing moment of all 2005 for me. Every character has at least one great moment, though time is not spaced equally amongst this large ensemble. [i]Crash[/i] has the intriguing practice of introducing near every character spouting some kind of racist diatribe, and then the movie spend the rest of its running time opening you up to these characters and getting to like them. Writer/director Paul Haggis has such a natural ear for terse, realistic dialogue that can really define characters with such brevity. A great movie, despite the overarching coincidences (I was rooting for [i]Brokeback[/i] come Oscar night even though they’re neck-and-neck in my view).[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: A[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Millions – This movie feels like someone is projecting straight from the bountiful imagination of a child. It’s wildly whimsical and fantastical; it’s a fantasy film and a family film that never falters into treacle. Director Danny Boyle ([i]Trainspotting[/i], [i]28 Days Later[/i]) of all people has crafted a masterful living fantasy with great emotional heft. I was left very teary by the end and have remained so with repeat viewings. [i]Millions[/i] has great visuals, great acting, and is a great movie.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: A[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – The brilliance of this Oscar-nominated documentary is how distills a complicated, math-heavy scandal and makes it so easily digestible. The Enron tale really is a story calling out for the medium of film, relying on sound bytes, testimonials, public statements, interviews, video clips, and director Alex Gibny masterfully orchestrates the telling. The film is insightful, informative, and incredibly entertaining. It’s a real pleasure to watch, and you’ll be left scratching your head at how certain economic laws are even possible. If you are confused by the Enron scandal or know little to nothing about the biggest corporate scandal of our times (Enron was the seventh biggest corp. at one point), spend two hours of your life and watch this excellent film.[/color][/font] [/color][font='Times New Roman'][font=Arial][size=2][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: A[/color][/size][/font][/font] [font='Times New Roman'][/font] [font='Times New Roman'][/font][font=Arial][color=darkred]The Matador – This is an adequate movie that doesn’t really resonate because at its heart it feels like a lot of interesting ideas and characters that are languished with a sitcom plot. I never thought Pierce Brosnan’s performance as the aging hit man was as funny as the film thought it was. [i]The Matador[/i] is actually a more interesting movie than funny or amusing. The movie doesn’t go deep enough; the story isn’t as refined as it could be, and there are so few set pieces that this flick could have worked as a play. The end feels a bit too tidy and asks Greg Kinnear’s ordinary husband character to act out of character. There’s an extended talk in [i]The Matador[/i] between Kinnear and his wife and Brosnan upon his unexpected visit, and it feels like a sitcom like the wacky neighbor next door has come over and hatched a hilarious scheme. I enjoyed the characters but they really just sit and stew in a really weak story. The characters are richly drawn but have nowhere to go.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: B-[/color][/font]

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