The Matador-Film Review

Film Review

The Matador

A boozy hitman and a grave salesman hit it off at a cheap hotel and keep each other quirky company

Director: Richard Shepard
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear and Hope Davis
Running time: 96 mins
Rating: ***


Peter Travers

Writer-director Richard Shepard gives Pierce Brosnan his meatiest role ever, and he digs in with relish. Julian (Brosnan) meets Denver exec Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) at a bar in Mexico City. The two become friends – an odd coupling that lets Brosnan and Kinnear lob comic fastballs. How Danny, with a wife (Hope Davis) back home, manages to figure in Julian's rehab as a killer is a surprise no review should reveal. Just sit back and enjoy the fun.
The Rolling Stone


Kirk Honeycutt

Writer-director Richard Shepard's quirky black comedy never quite figures out where to do with his unlikely soul mates. Then a lame third act leaves one with the feeling of a great barroom joke, elaborately told, that lacks a solid punch line. At least the comedy is wonderfully off-kilter and the performances contain enough buoyancy to give The Matador definite commercial potential. The comedy may be character-driven, but the vehicle stalls frequently.
The Hollywood Reporter


Stephen Holden

Pithy remarks put into the mouth of a star playing against type impart a greasy sheen of sophistication to The Matador, a weightless, amoral romp about a professional hit man facing a midlife crisis. Because The Matador sustains a tone of screwball insouciance and keeps its trump card hidden up its sleeve, it must be counted as a well-made comic thriller. That doesn't mean it has any depth, credibility or artistic value beyond its capacity to divert.
The New York Times

* Fuh-get about it, **Ho-Hum!, *** Oh, not bad at all, **** Way too good!, ***** Citizen Kane!