Brosnan enjoys one of his best parts in years and there is no mistaking his exuberance as he embraces the role.
Comment
12/31/05
The Matador (2005)
75
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:146
Fresh:110
Rotten:36
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: This humorously amoral, oddball comic thriller features strong performances by Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear as a flamboyant, aging hit-man and an out of work suburban businessman, respectively.
Theatrical Release:03-03-2006
Synopsis: Pierce Brosnan is outstanding as an international hit man falling apart at the seams in Richard Shepard's dark comedy THE MATADOR. Brosnan, riffing on his success playing the very well groomed and... [More]
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Dylan Baker
Director: Richard Shepard, Bob Yari
Reviews for The Matador
For a much better attempt at this kind of storytelling, make a mental note to some day check out Israeli writer-director Eytan Fox’s Walk on Water.
12/30/05
Eventually, you forget Brosnan's ongoing effort to set fire to his trademark creased-and-polished image and begin to share his apparent glee in traipsing through this seriocomic farrago of crime melodrama, buddy movie and sob story.
12/30/05
Told with kinetic flair and a go-for-broke style that's more amusing than engrossing.
12/29/05
...plays a little classier, a little more hip than it otherwise might have due to Pierce Brosnan's rascally embracement of poking holes in his own image...
12/29/05
Sneaky, off-beat, satirically seedy psychodrama/thriller with Pierce Brosnan as a droll, comically demented hit-man
12/29/05
...thoroughly enjoyable and equally shallow.
12/29/05
The general details and color of The Matador fade quickly from memory while Brosnan's gamy, inscrutable libertine is still exhaling Scotch vapor in your face.
12/28/05
Shepard and his terrific cast turns a fairly simple premise into one of those rare buddy comedies that has both brains and heart!
12/27/05
An effective, wise, and frequently amusing entertainment that fondly sticks in the viewer's memory after the end credits have finished rolling.
12/27/05
Its Like 'after The Sunset' Without Salma Hayak.
12/27/05
A testament to the relatively unknown Shepard’s imagination and smarts.
12/27/05
Top CriticIt's easy to tell how much Brosnan relished this particular role as he practically licks his lips in pleasure after nailing key scenes.
12/26/05
Where an actor's comfort zone and preconception of audience expectation intersect, Richard Shepard's The Matador exists.
12/23/05
Be sure to grab this one by the horns and enjoy the ride.
12/23/05
Top CriticRarely does an ensemble cast of such limited numbers create such charm and entertainment derived from plot and character.
12/21/05
It’s a savage, breezy, occasionally obscene and sometimes poignant mix of comedy and crime.
12/21/05
...a captivating comedy. Brosnan gives the best performance of his career. Kinnear is a true comic genius.
12/18/05
Mixing comedy and the hit man thriller, Matador is a dialogue-driven buddy film about two disparate men (Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear) who meet in a hotel bar--and help each other go through mid-life crisis.
12/04/05
Explores the friendship between a hit man and a suburban businessman that strains belief and leads to a totally improbable finale.
12/04/05
Latest News for The Matador
November 23, 2007:
Total Recall: Thank Goodness For Hit Men
This week, Timothy Olyphant stars in Hitman, the tale of a skilled contract killer who finds himself in the midst of deadly political intrigue. Here at RT, we thought it would... More...
September 10, 2007:
RT Goes Behind The Lines With The Hunting Party's Richard Shepard
Richard Shepard recently sat down with Rotten Tomatoes to discuss gallows humor, international conspiracy, why wartime cameramen think they're invincible, and (because why not?)... More...
July 30, 2007:
Frank Miller Faults Weinsteins for Sin City 2 Delay
While sitting on a Comic Con panel, Frank Miller was asked about the hold-up on Sin City 2. (Numerous times, probably.) And it looks like the celebrated author / artist /... More...
January 26, 2007:
Another "Crown" for Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan took a detour into indie productions after hanging up his Bond tux and martini -- most recently in "The Matador" and "Seraphim Falls" -- but... More...
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