“THE MATADOR”
The Weinstein Co. Directed by Richard Shepard. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis. Rated “R.” At Irvine Spectrum Center this week. In theaters everywhere Friday.
This is the best film of 2006. Sure, it’s early yet. And technically “The Matador” came out Dec. 30. But never mind that. The movie is an offbeat, dark comedy rare among Hollywood’s play-it-safe fare of remakes, sequels and drivel. Thank Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films Corp. and left the Walt Disney Co. studio to form Weinstein Co. last year. Miramax is a financier of the film. But whether it would have picked it up is doubtful. “The Matador” is an unlikely buddy movie, pairing a burnt out hit man (Pierce Brosnan) with a milquetoast traveling salesman (Greg Kinnear). Brosnan’s character is the anti-James Bond, a shallow, crass, amoral “facilitator of fatalities.” The actor pulls off the role flawlessly. The characters of Brosnan and Kinnear become intertwined after a chance meeting in Mexico City (hence the title). The two form an improbable yet genuine friendship that leads to Kinnear helping Brosnan get his mojo back on a job. The pairing is hilarious: the dorky Kinnear with the suave, brash Brosnan. It’s also a solid story with a twist and some poignant moments. Brosnan’s character brings the “R” rating with his vulgarities and seedy underworld life. “The Matador” has a pop art feel to it with its vivid settings and hand-picked soundtrack, which includes Tom Jones and The Cramps. The movie is a gem, in the vein of edgy indie films such as “Pulp Fiction.”
,Michael Lyster
RATING: Four Briefcases (out of four)
