Cinema surveillance images are loading at the bottom of the page

The matador - Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Richard Shepard

Threat advisory: Guarded - General risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

An assassin and a salesman walk into a bar...

In a wacky chance encounter at a Mexican hotel bar, Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan), a sleazy assassin, strikes up a peculiar friendship with Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear), a struggling salesman. Lonely Julian is thrilled to make a friend and offers to solve all of Danny's financial problems if he'll help with a hit. When Danny baulks at the crazy proposition Julian begs forgiveness for crossing the line, but it's too late and the two part company. Burnt out on drugs, sex and death, Julian heads to Venice where he fails a hit. His employer wants Julian's head. Julian tracks down Danny down in America and begs him as his only friend for help. He's been given one last chance but he can't pull off the job alone. This time Danny agrees and the obligation binding the two men from different worlds is startlingly revealed...

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film comedy assassin crime murder salesman amateur hit man

Persons of interest

Pierce Brosnan .... Julian Noble
Greg Kinnear .... Danny Wright
Hope Davis .... Bean
Philip Baker Hall .... Mr Randy
Adam Scott .... Phil Garrison
Dylan Baker .... Lovell
Portia Dawson .... Guinevere
Maureen Muldoon .... Gretchen
Richard Shepard .... Screenwriter
Richard Shepard .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

The matador official movie site
The matador film production notes
The matador QuickTime movie trailers

Awards and film festivals:

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Saturn Awards 2006: Nominated: Best Actor (Pierce Brosnan)
Deauville Festival of American Film 2005: Official selection
Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) 2005: Nominated: Actor In A Leading Role - Musical Or Comedy (Pierce Brosnan)
London Film Festival 2005: Film on the Square
Sundance Film Festival 2005: World Première
Toronto International Film Festival 2005: Official selection

Studios and distributors:

Buena Vista International

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

The matador is in some ways comparable to Pierce Brosnan's other recent anti-hero flicks, After the sunset and The Thomas Crown affair but mostly it's a middle class, suburban adventure into the exciting world of professional murder. It lacks a super-sexy chick to distract you from the boring bits and it lacks a hard-bitten, hard-driven law enforcement officer to provide the thrill of the chase. And it's pretty slow.