The Matador

SYNOPSIS

Pierce Brosnan leaves the character of James Bond behind with this black comedy in which he plays a hitman undergoing a midlife crisis of conscience. Meeting Greg Kinnear's crestfallen businessman by chance in a Mexico City hotel bar, Brosnan takes solace in the everyday problems of this average Joe, and an odd friendship soon develops. This rather risky relationship proves of mutual benefit, though it takes a reluctant Kinnear quite some time to realise it - particularly when a burnt-out Brosnan turns up on his suburban doorstep. Brosnan overplays his part, while Greg Kinnear underplays his, but Hope Davis (American Splendor) strikes the right balance as Kinnear's slightly wacky wife. The film could perhaps have been a little sharper (one more rewrite wouldn't have gone amiss), but it's entertaining stuff, and Brosnan blatantly derives much pleasure from sending up his most famous role.