The Matador
The Matador
January/February (ish); Loews Boston Common
* * * 1/2 (out of 4)
If there were a category at some award show for "Best Breakout Performance by an Actor Who Has Worked Successfully for Nearly 30 Years," Pierce Brosnan would OWN that category this year. With this, he firmly severs his ties with the 007 series, and probably betters his reputation because of it. This felt very much like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang to me, which isn't at all a bad thing, because I loved that movie, too. It's got this not-quite-independent feel to it, but it's small enough to make festival circuits and to slip under the rader of a lot of people. Sad for them. This is a very funny, very dark little movie.
Pierce Brosnan plays the anti-Bond Julian Noble, who is an unforgiving hitman who is starting to question what it is he's doing with his life as his skills begin to give way. He meets Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) in Mexico while Wright is on a business trip, and after a long exchange in the bar, the two become cautious friends. This is a great dynamic since they couldn't be any more different. After Wright heads home, Noble shows up on his doorstep asking for help with a job. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with the straight-laced, uptight Wright... but he owes Noble. One can only imagine what for.
This is Brosnan's movie. He owns it, he loves it, he wallows in the rottenness. It must have been such a relief to get away from the formulaic spy crap that had been lingering over the Bond series, and that he had taken primary blame for - I didn't like him as Bond, but I certainly didn't think it was entirely his fault as some people did - but he washes all of it away here. Julian is a killer. He likes (or liked) doing it. There aren't perks like Bond had. This is just a cheap thrill. Brosnan very skillfully shows that breakdown from enjoying his job to cowering in fear and self-pity... quite the change from anything Bond ever would have done. And you know what? Brosnan is better at this sort of thing.
Greg Kinnear is here too, and does a good job, but he graciously bows to Brosnan for this one. Kinnear recognizes whose movie this is, and fills out the film where Brosnan cannot. As Noble breaks down, Wright has such a buildup of intensity and insanity that the eventual blowout is so well worth it. The other great thing that I can remember was the soundtrack, featuring nothing I'd ever heard before, but each track fit the featured scene so well that it stuck with me.
If you missed this one, you missed out. The DVD is due out next month, so pick it up. It's a lot of fun, and it will wash The World is Not Gold Enough to Never Die Another Tomorrow right out of your mind. You can thank me later.
January/February (ish); Loews Boston Common
* * * 1/2 (out of 4)
If there were a category at some award show for "Best Breakout Performance by an Actor Who Has Worked Successfully for Nearly 30 Years," Pierce Brosnan would OWN that category this year. With this, he firmly severs his ties with the 007 series, and probably betters his reputation because of it. This felt very much like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang to me, which isn't at all a bad thing, because I loved that movie, too. It's got this not-quite-independent feel to it, but it's small enough to make festival circuits and to slip under the rader of a lot of people. Sad for them. This is a very funny, very dark little movie.
Pierce Brosnan plays the anti-Bond Julian Noble, who is an unforgiving hitman who is starting to question what it is he's doing with his life as his skills begin to give way. He meets Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) in Mexico while Wright is on a business trip, and after a long exchange in the bar, the two become cautious friends. This is a great dynamic since they couldn't be any more different. After Wright heads home, Noble shows up on his doorstep asking for help with a job. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with the straight-laced, uptight Wright... but he owes Noble. One can only imagine what for.
This is Brosnan's movie. He owns it, he loves it, he wallows in the rottenness. It must have been such a relief to get away from the formulaic spy crap that had been lingering over the Bond series, and that he had taken primary blame for - I didn't like him as Bond, but I certainly didn't think it was entirely his fault as some people did - but he washes all of it away here. Julian is a killer. He likes (or liked) doing it. There aren't perks like Bond had. This is just a cheap thrill. Brosnan very skillfully shows that breakdown from enjoying his job to cowering in fear and self-pity... quite the change from anything Bond ever would have done. And you know what? Brosnan is better at this sort of thing.
Greg Kinnear is here too, and does a good job, but he graciously bows to Brosnan for this one. Kinnear recognizes whose movie this is, and fills out the film where Brosnan cannot. As Noble breaks down, Wright has such a buildup of intensity and insanity that the eventual blowout is so well worth it. The other great thing that I can remember was the soundtrack, featuring nothing I'd ever heard before, but each track fit the featured scene so well that it stuck with me.
If you missed this one, you missed out. The DVD is due out next month, so pick it up. It's a lot of fun, and it will wash The World is Not Gold Enough to Never Die Another Tomorrow right out of your mind. You can thank me later.
posted by Matt S. at
12:31 PM
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