By Chris Sabga
When I saw the trailer for The Matador, I was expecting a cute, fun comedy and nothing more. Instead, what I got was one of the biggest surprises of the year.
"A hitman and a salesman walk into a bar..." It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but it's actually the tagline for this movie. In what has been described as Pierce Brosnan's big "F-U" to James Bond, the former 007 attacks this hitman role with a delicious comic relish. It's somewhat familiar territory for Brosnan, but it's also a huge departure for him. He's played these types of characters before, but never like this. It has been called Brosnan's best performance to date, and I believe it. Greg Kinnear is equally excellent, playing his usual role as a nice, gentlemanly "everyman." Hope Davis is also very good as Kinnear's wife.
The friendship between Brosnan and Kinnear makes up the heart of this movie, and it works beautifully on-screen because of the chemistry they have together. At first, Kinnear doesn't believe his new friend is really a hitman. The scene that follows is a complete joy to watch as Brosnan attempts to prove that he is indeed what he says he is. I don't want to spoil anything here.
Even though the main character is a hitman and the actor playing him is the former James Bond, don't mistake this for an action movie. While there are a few elements of action, this is definitely a comedy first and foremost. But it's not a light, fluffy comedy. At least not all of the time. The Matador doesn't just rely on cheap situational laughs. There's some actual depth here.
Throughout the movie, I almost always thought I knew where it was going, and I was almost always wrong. This aspect of the film really elevates it to a higher level. There's some actual substance and meat to this script, with a fully fleshed-out story and well-defined characters. I was able to really care about these people, and when that happens, everything in the narrative suddenly means more.
Even though we're still in the early months of 2006, I think it's a surefire guarantee that The Matador will be in my top ten at the end of the year. This is well worth seeking out.
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