The Matador (2005)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Richard Shepard

Writer (WGA):

Richard Shepard (written by)

Release Date:

27 January 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A hitman and a salesman walk into a bar...

Plot:

A globetrotting hitman and a crestfallen businessman meet in a hotel bar in Mexico City in an encounter that draws them together in a way neither expected.

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Hitman | Mexico | Hotel | Hotel Bar

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Pierce Brosnan	...	Julian Noble
Arlin Miller	...	Radio DJ (voice)
Azucena Medina	...	Young Denver Fling
Jonah Meyerson	...	Ten Year Old Boy
Wiveca Bonerais	...	Ten Year Old Boy's Mother
Greg Kinnear	...	Danny Wright
Hope Davis	...	Carolyn 'Bean' Wright
Adam Scott	...	Phil Garrison
Portia Dawson	...	Genevive
Roberto Sosa	...	Skinny Mexican Man
Antonio Zavala	...	Hotel Bartender 1
Ramon Alvarez	...	Shooting Stand Owner
Luz Maria Molina	...	School Girl
Philip Baker Hall	...	Mr. Randy
Carolyn Horwitz	...	Cantina Turista #1

Also Known As:

Mord und Margaritas (Germany)
Матадор (Russia) [ru]
Le matador (Canada: French title) [fr]
Matador (Finland) [fi]
Matador (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Matador (Serbia) [sr]
O Matador (Brazil) [pt]
The Matador (Argentina) [es]
The Matador (Greece) [el]
The matador - Même les tueurs ont besoin d'amis (France) [fr]
Ubojstvo i margarite (Croatia) [hr]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content and language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Ireland

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Iceland:16 | Sweden:11 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R13 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:11 | USA:R | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Centro Histórico, Mexico City, México D.F., Mexico

Company:

Stratus Film Co.

Trivia:

The film was shot in just 40 days in and around Mexico City.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Julian first meets Danny at the hotel bar in one shot he is seen smoking his cigarette, but when the camera angle changes he is not any more.

Quotes:

Julian Noble: I look like a Bangkok hooker on a Sunday morning, after the navy's left town.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Yes Man (2008)

Soundtrack:

All These Things I've Done

Blushy, Blushy ...

Greetings again from the darkness. Much anticipated, twisted comedy from writer/director Richard Shepard is a coming out party for Pierce Brosnan the actor. That Bond guy is gone. This new guy is something else entirely!! Have read that Shepard thought Brosnan was too much the pretty boy for this plum role, but Brosnan proves to be the perfect Julian Noble, "Facilitator" ... and is anything but pretty! Do not underestimate how twisted the humor is in this one. If you go, expect punch lines and sight gags regarding all types of sex, killing, religion, sports, business and anything else you might deem politically incorrect. Brosnan takes an excellent script to another level with his marvelous facial gestures and physical movements. Even sitting on a hotel bed (with or without a sombrero) is a joy to behold.

Greg Kinnear is the straight guy to Brosnan's comic and has plenty of depth and comic timing to make this partnership click. Hope Davis has a small, but subtly effective supporting role as Kinnear's wife (what's with her name "Bean"?) who happens to get a little excited when she has a facilitator in her living room.

The visuals and settings are perfect - including a bullfight, racetrack and Denver suburb. And how often do we get The Killers and Xavier Cugat on the same soundtrack? This one is definitely not for everyone, but if your sense of humor is a bit off center and you enjoy risky film-making, it could be for you.