The Matador

Re-viewed By Dark Defender.

 What would happen when a down-on-his-luck businessman becomes friends with a hitman on the verge of a burnout? This question is answered in Richard Shepard’s ‘The Matador’, and to surprising results. Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) is a hitman who has lost his touch and is on the verge of a major burnout and has just one last chance to prove his worth. Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) is a businessman who has to land the upcoming deal in order to financial stay afloat and in a much more complicated way, to save his marriage. When the two meet in Mexico city, a simple yet compelling bond forms between them and the rest of the story deals with the repercussions of this unusual friendship.

All of us are used to Pierce Brosnan as the ultra suave Bond with super gadgets, hot girls and a knack of always getting out of trouble, but the Julian we have here is very much human and has nothing going for him; and Brosnan nailed the role to perfection. Apart from the tight storyline, quite humour and neat direction by Shepard, what makes this a stand out movie is the unusual chemistry between Brosnan and Greg Kinnear. Where this movie comes on top among the many buddy movies we had in the past is that, Richard Shepard has been able to pull off the most unusual friendship among to distinct personalities with relative ease.

The underlying concept of the movie is the one that in the end makes this a beautiful movie. It is not how we are, what we do or what are background is; it is what we are really made up of and what the other person is, at heart. This movie is a story of friendship and what it means to stand for it.