THE MATADOR
—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Pierce Brosnan)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
Globetrotting, over sexed, and commissioned to kill Pierce Brosnan plays… “Noble. Julian Noble,� a rude, slightly crazed assassin losing his edge. He meets an American, domesticated, salesman named Danny Wright, played by Greg Kinnear, in a Mexico City Bar. Both are somewhat lonely, and unsure of their futures. Julian fears of losing work to younger men, while Danny faces stiff competition on an impending business deal. They strike up a conversation where Danny confesses his son was killed in a car accident, and then Julian responds by making a dirty joke. Danny walks away, but is strangely drawn to this piggish Englishman who carries with him a sense of mystery and danger.
Julian tries to make up for his rudeness by inviting Danny to attend a real bull fight. There, Julian tells Danny his real job. Unconvinced, Danny asks Julian to show him how he would do it. Julian walks Danny through the steps, identifying a man, tracking him down and then busting in on him in a stall in the men’s room. No harm, no foul, but Danny now understands that Julian’s for real.
Then Julian crosses the line. He asks Danny to help him complete a job. Danny flat out refuses. He sticks his hands over his ears and shouts nonsense to hear no part of this killer scheme. Later that night, Julian knocks on Danny’s door asking for forgiveness, while Danny sits quietly inside the room.
Jump ahead six months. Julian has just visited Budapest, Moscow and Manila. In Manila, Julian fails to complete an assignment and is now targeted by his employer for extermination. Back at home in Denver, Danny enjoys a successful, happy life with his wife “Bean� (Hope Davis).
On night at 11:30pm, Julian knocks on Danny’s door. In awkward confusion, Danny and “Bean� invite Julian inside where they drink and discuss old times, like they were old friends. In reality, Julian shows up to ask Danny for “a favor.� Julian wants Danny to help him “complete a job.� Danny accepts. This twist involves the reason why Danny is now so suddenly successful and why he “owes� Julian a favor.
It’s good to see Greg Kinnear in perhaps his best work since AS GOOD AS IT GETS, and his strongest role since 2002s AUTO FOCUS. Pierce Brosnan, likewise, performs admirably as an anti-Bond, the complete opposite of the debonair English super-spy. Hope Davis, initially, serves as mere window dressing until Julian visits and then we learn she has secrete knowledge previously unknown to the viewers.
The color of both the Mexican landscapes and the huge subtitle lettering creates an impressive visual feast. The story shows a care and complexity towards male relationships that are rarely explored in movies these days.
In fact, the premise of this movie reminded me a lot of John Eldredge’s book WILD AT HEART. Like many suburban American men, Danny is looking for an adventure to conquer and a woman to win. He recognizes Julian has both adventure and power. Julian, conversely, knows his womanizing, jet setting ways are getting the best of him. Domestication looks appealing. They both have experiences and personality traits the other needs. Hence, in a weird sort of way, THE MATADOR emphasizes the point that men need each other. We can’t go through life alone, slowly having our manhood sucked out of us by suburban domesticity.
Of course, violence and killing your competition isn’t what Eldredge advocates. Eldredge endorses the fact that men are made in God’s image and God is fierce and unsafe. These qualities should be channeled in more productive endeavors.
THE MATADOR stumbles as a film because it can’t decide whether to be a comedy or a drama and gets stuck in the middle. Lots of films like AS GOOD AS IT GETS are able to walk this thin line and succeed, but THE MATADOR already showcases the absurd Julian Noble character, which to me, seems to suggest it should have pushed the comedic elements.
THE MATADOR isn’t a great film. Indeed, it’s not making much of a splash at the box office. And, its subject matter is prohibitive to attracting a sizeable crowd. But for fans of the assassin genre, and fans of the buddy comedy, it serves a place. Again, men need each other to give each other permission to succeed and have courage. We need to support each other, and help each other out from time to time. And most importantly, we need to respect the lives of each other, even if that man is our competitor.
—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Pierce Brosnan)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
Globetrotting, over sexed, and commissioned to kill Pierce Brosnan plays… “Noble. Julian Noble,� a rude, slightly crazed assassin losing his edge. He meets an American, domesticated, salesman named Danny Wright, played by Greg Kinnear, in a Mexico City Bar. Both are somewhat lonely, and unsure of their futures. Julian fears of losing work to younger men, while Danny faces stiff competition on an impending business deal. They strike up a conversation where Danny confesses his son was killed in a car accident, and then Julian responds by making a dirty joke. Danny walks away, but is strangely drawn to this piggish Englishman who carries with him a sense of mystery and danger.Julian tries to make up for his rudeness by inviting Danny to attend a real bull fight. There, Julian tells Danny his real job. Unconvinced, Danny asks Julian to show him how he would do it. Julian walks Danny through the steps, identifying a man, tracking him down and then busting in on him in a stall in the men’s room. No harm, no foul, but Danny now understands that Julian’s for real.
Then Julian crosses the line. He asks Danny to help him complete a job. Danny flat out refuses. He sticks his hands over his ears and shouts nonsense to hear no part of this killer scheme. Later that night, Julian knocks on Danny’s door asking for forgiveness, while Danny sits quietly inside the room.
Jump ahead six months. Julian has just visited Budapest, Moscow and Manila. In Manila, Julian fails to complete an assignment and is now targeted by his employer for extermination. Back at home in Denver, Danny enjoys a successful, happy life with his wife “Bean� (Hope Davis).
On night at 11:30pm, Julian knocks on Danny’s door. In awkward confusion, Danny and “Bean� invite Julian inside where they drink and discuss old times, like they were old friends. In reality, Julian shows up to ask Danny for “a favor.� Julian wants Danny to help him “complete a job.� Danny accepts. This twist involves the reason why Danny is now so suddenly successful and why he “owes� Julian a favor.
It’s good to see Greg Kinnear in perhaps his best work since AS GOOD AS IT GETS, and his strongest role since 2002s AUTO FOCUS. Pierce Brosnan, likewise, performs admirably as an anti-Bond, the complete opposite of the debonair English super-spy. Hope Davis, initially, serves as mere window dressing until Julian visits and then we learn she has secrete knowledge previously unknown to the viewers.
The color of both the Mexican landscapes and the huge subtitle lettering creates an impressive visual feast. The story shows a care and complexity towards male relationships that are rarely explored in movies these days.
In fact, the premise of this movie reminded me a lot of John Eldredge’s book WILD AT HEART. Like many suburban American men, Danny is looking for an adventure to conquer and a woman to win. He recognizes Julian has both adventure and power. Julian, conversely, knows his womanizing, jet setting ways are getting the best of him. Domestication looks appealing. They both have experiences and personality traits the other needs. Hence, in a weird sort of way, THE MATADOR emphasizes the point that men need each other. We can’t go through life alone, slowly having our manhood sucked out of us by suburban domesticity.
Of course, violence and killing your competition isn’t what Eldredge advocates. Eldredge endorses the fact that men are made in God’s image and God is fierce and unsafe. These qualities should be channeled in more productive endeavors.
THE MATADOR stumbles as a film because it can’t decide whether to be a comedy or a drama and gets stuck in the middle. Lots of films like AS GOOD AS IT GETS are able to walk this thin line and succeed, but THE MATADOR already showcases the absurd Julian Noble character, which to me, seems to suggest it should have pushed the comedic elements.
THE MATADOR isn’t a great film. Indeed, it’s not making much of a splash at the box office. And, its subject matter is prohibitive to attracting a sizeable crowd. But for fans of the assassin genre, and fans of the buddy comedy, it serves a place. Again, men need each other to give each other permission to succeed and have courage. We need to support each other, and help each other out from time to time. And most importantly, we need to respect the lives of each other, even if that man is our competitor.
—1. Overview
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