EC:WC FCA – The Matador

The EC:WC FCA is the East Coast:West Coast Film Critics Association - an exclusive organization consisting of myself on the west coast and one of my older brothers on the east coast. We occasionally commiserate via phone or email regarding the latest film we’ve seen either in the theaters or on DVD. Our recommendation scale is anywhere from 1 to 5 wine bottles. We take our movies as seriously as we take our vino (both of which need to be palatable yet refined, either entertaining whimsy or sparking contemplation, and always requiring a lack of pretension).

Today’s review – of the newly released DVD “The Matador” – is from moi (the West Coast Critic). It’s a strange comedy/thriller that follows the unlikely friendship between two diverse individuals: Danny Wright, and affably average family man, and Julian Noble, an ageing loner assassin.

Julian is played hilariously by Pierce Brosnan who gets the chance to tweak his own nose with a couple subtle jabs at his previous incarnation as James Bond. Mr. Noble is a hired killer who’s beginning to lose his nerve after one too many jobs. Meanwhile, Danny (performed by Greg Kinnear) is in Mexico City on a business trip with his partner to try a close a deal that could make or break his career (and possibly his marriage).

After a successful pitch session a tipsy Danny tries to strike up a conversation with equally tipsy Julian at the hotel bar, and thus is born the beginning of the oddest of “odd couple” friendships. Watching these two characters interact with mutual fascination and indignation is a joy as we observe each struggle through their current crises, and then offer each other support and advice.

Aside from this being a comedy and thriller, this movie is also a fascinating morality tale. It’s not perfectly executed (pardon the pun), but we do witness two men on opposite ends of the moral extremes meeting at crucial moments in their lives. Note: pay close attention to Julian’s tattoos and to his two rings.

This is an R-rated film, due less to violence (with quick cutaways and edits, you never see any of the killings) but due more so to some occasional salty language and a couple brief sex scenes. There’s clever dialogue throughout, and the story is very well constructed by writer/director Richard Shepherd.

I ended up renting this DVD twice, and I still found it fascinatingly funny, with brilliant performances by the two leads (Hope Davis is also wonderful as Danny’s inquisitive wife). The Matador also brings to the fore the consequences of serious choices and actions. Again, the ending doesn’t make it a perfect morality play, but I found it enjoyable enough to give it 4 wine bottles out of 5 (maybe they should be margaritas instead?).


8/7/06 UPDATE: The East Coast critic writes:

I rented the “Matador” over the weekend, but quite frankly, I really didn’t like it that much. It was funny at times, but the vulgar dialogue and lack of sufficient (genuine) moral retrospect by both leads, made it to sour for my taste buds (2 wine bottles out of five).