Oh, yes, please. This is the sort of movie that proves the eternal dichotomy of popcorn; totally pointless outside of a cinema, perfect accompaniment to a film like this, yet you’ll end up spitting most of it out in fits of laughter. And frankly, if lines like “I’m as serious as an erection problem” don’t have you rolling in the aisles, then a) stop reading now, b) you’re much more mature than me, well done, and c) you’re reading the wrong website. I believe www.rigormortis.com might be more your scene.
Pierce Brosnan is a star. Even out of the shadow of James Bond, the man exudes style and charm, but here, as burnt-out hitman Julian Noble, he displays a fractured, painful awareness that his time is coming to an end. He gets plastered, paints his toenails, DOESN’T SHAVE. Bond is behind him, and this film is a glorious fuck-you to the franchise he never wanted to leave.
The Matador sees Noble’s path cross with that of Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear), a down-on-his-luck salesman, in Mexico City. Julian is charismatic and crass with a healthy alcohol habit; Danny is highly-strung and overly aware of his perceived failings. What makes this 21st Century odd couple tick is a highly unlikely dependence upon each other. Julian’s people skills are ill-rehearsed whereas Danny’s business depends upon his, and learning to draw upon each other, despite an initial incredulity that they could ever exist in each other’s worlds, will help them find the way forward in lives that appeared hopeless before their chance encounter.
But hell, you don’t want to know the plot. You’ve got the basics, there’s a bit of twist and mystery to it, it’ll keep you reasonably gripped. What you want to know is why you should watch this film. And although it’d be a crime to tell you too much about the reasons, it’ll be a joy to remember them. Brosnan is a genuine delight, his tarnished cool lending an edge to his ballsiest role yet; he’s funny in a way easy choices like After The Sunset could never have prepared you for. We know Greg Kinnear can do funny (hands up who hasn’t seen Mystery Men? Shame on you. Get out of my sight) and here he shows glimpses of his comedy potential through his mainly straight-man role. But he anchors the film with his superb portrayal of a man whose insecurities are threatening to consume him.
Hope Davis lends extra humanity as Kinnear’s adorable wife, whose apparently infinite belief in him both fuels and undermines his drive to succeed. In a surreal film where nothing is necessarily as it seems, she is a beacon of warmth, and from her springs an unexpected affirmation of enduring love in extraordinary circumstances. In fact, skipping past the superb dialogue and popcorn-rejecting laughs, The Matador is a great film about friendship between men. Many will take it at face value, be highly entertained, and tell their mates that it’s “a laugh”. Scratch the surface and I dare you not to feel a little bit warm and fuzzy inside come The Killers-backed final scene. And that’s the musical low point; this soundtrack kicks lots of ass. Great work all round then, all the main players deserve a special mention, but top of the class is writer/director Richard Shepard. Excellent work, sir. More of the same, if you please.