A Veteran Hit Man Struggles With a Mid-Life Crisis
Pierce Brosnan gives a fine performance as the ironically named Julian Noble, the protagonist in The Matador (2005). Julian has carried out assassinations all over the world for the same people for 22 years. In other words, he's a professional hit man, or as his handler describes him, "a facilitator of fatalities." But in the course of the film, he becomes no longer reliable on the job. As Julian clumsily puts it, "An assassin without confidence is a horrible thing to behold. It's like a relief pitcher who fumbles the ball." Still, he's reluctant to walk away from his career because, as he points out, "There's not a retirement home for assassins, is there? Archery at four, riflery at five? A little early-bird dinner at six?"
A Well-Acted, Droll Little Movie
The Matador is highly entertaining. I got a big laugh or two out of it, as well as some smiles and chuckles. There are also a few moments of drama, and I must say that the changes of tone are handled very well. However, it seems to me that anyone expecting this film to be a thriller will be disappointed.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie's slightly unconventional plot and amusing dialogue. It is also a pleasure to watch the excellent performances by the three principal actors: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear and Hope Davis.
A Mild-Mannered, Vulnerable Married Couple
Greg Kinnear portrays Denver businessman Danny Wright, and Hope Davis plays his wife Bean. They are an enormously likable couple, but they are not immune to the excitement that Julian brings into their lives. When he comes to the Wrights' home for a visit, the three of them are drinking and having a good time when Bean remarks, "Aren't we … cosmopolitan? Having a trained assassin stay over the night. Letting heartbreaking lies just roll over us like the summer breeze."
Danny teeters on the brink of losing his moral compass at one point and poses the provocative question, "Don't people—successful people—always live with blood on their hands?"
On the Film's Title
The word "matador" has come into English from Spanish to refer specifically to a bullfighter who kills bulls. But in general the Spanish word matador translates into English as "killer," and the film's title alludes to hit man Julian Noble. Julian and Danny meet in Mexico City, where they go together to the big Plaza de toros, and the movie uses bullfighting as a metaphor for Julian's profession.
Animal Cruelty?
At the end of The Matador appears the following disclaimer: "Absolutely no animals were harmed by the production of this movie." However, the filmmakers shot footage of bullfights that would take place whether there was a movie or not, and then they inserted some of that footage into the movie. While The Matador is cleverly edited so that almost no gore is explicitly shown, I still think that people who are especially sensitive to the issue of animal cruelty may want to skip this film.
A Pair of Commentaries, One Excellent, the Other Not
The DVD contains a first-rate feature-length commentary by writer-director Richard Shepard. He gives us a detailed word picture of a young filmmaker's journey from screenplay to bringing Pierce Brosnan on board as lead actor and producer to receiving the phone call from Harvey Weinstein that lead to the little independent movie getting a theatrical release. He tells of shooting entirely in and around Mexico City to stay within the $12 million production budget, which was so tight he couldn't afford Sinatra's "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." Shepard also imparts a ton of additional information, including the fact that Brosnan's wardrobe was deliberately a half-size too small, Hope Davis was uncomfortably pregnant during the shoot, and neither Brosnan nor Kinnear was willing to be present at an actual bullfight.
In addition, there's a second commentary track on the DVD, this one with Shepard again, but this time he's joined by Kinnear and Brosnan. This commentary failed to capture my interest, and I abandoned it after perhaps 45 minutes.
A Pair of Radio Programs, One of Which Is Outstanding
My favorite bonus material on the DVD was a radio program from NPR's series The Business titled "Sundance Rollercoaster," a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Shepard trying to sell The Matador at the famous Utah film festival. The big buzz there revolved around Hustle & Flow, but Miramax eventually acquired Shepard's film, though not until after they had already bought Wolf Creek.
There's also a second radio program on the DVD, and it aired on KCRW in Santa Monica. In it critic Elvis Mitchell interviews Richard Shepard about The Matador. The program is good, but much of the material duplicates information Shepard gives on his solo commentary track.
Next Page: Making-Of Featurette and Extended Scenes
