The Matador
The Matador took me completely by surprise and I absolutely love it, love it, LOVE IT! It is hard to categorize this movie. It can be considered as an assassin movie with a male bonding sideline or a buddy movie with a killer twist; a drama with a sense of humor or a comedy with a serious human touch.
In The Matador, two totally dissimilar characters meet by chance and form an unexpected friendship. Julian (played by Pierce Brosnan) is a professional hit man suffering a nervous breakdown and Danny (played by Greg Kinnear) is a typical American middle class salesman going through a tough time. Writer/director Richard Shepard’s script is so original and ingenious that I was completely absorbed into the story. In the first half of the movie, Julian seems to be the cool one in control and Danny is the one down on his luck, but in the second half, there is a subtle power transfer and Danny becomes the strong one while Julian struggles to stay alive.
The line between good and evil is not easily drawn in this movie and Shepard paints all the characters grey instead of black and white. Julian may be an indiscriminating murderer killing for profits, but there is a kind of honor code he follows in what he does. Danny appears to be a nice guy who won’t hurt anyone, but deep down there is human weakness that could lead to darkness hidden inside everybody. From the very beginning, Shepard uses clever editing to set up a nice contrast between Julian’s and Danny’s lives. Later, his editing shows the clumsiness of Danny’s attempt to imitate Julian and adds just the right amount of comic relief. Shepard’s choice of these two seemingly complete opposite characters as the movie’s protagonists makes this movie a unique viewing experience and sets it apart from other assassin movies. It is so interesting to watch Julian’s curiosity about ordinary people’s every day existence and Danny and his wife’s fascination with a hit man’s lifestyle.
Shepard’s Julian is also an assassin much more complex than those usually depicted in movies. I like how Shepard compares Julian to a matador; they are both highly trained and skilled killers and they both strive for some sorts of beauty, dignity and grace in their professions. We can even sense a matador’s calm and precision in Julian’s killings before he has the breakdown. Like another of my favorite movies from last year, The Squid and the Whale, Shepard employs many mirror shots to show character’s inner turmoil. When Julian is waiting for instructions for a new job, he looks through a window to see a group of ballet dancers practice. His hard face on the glass combined with elegant dancers reveals a yearning for beauty in this world and reflects the cruel reality at the same time.
All performances are solid in this movie, but Brosnan clearly dominates it. Wow, who knows he can be this good? Many critics regard Julian as a huge departure from his 007 role, but I disagree. His Julian is an over-the-hill James Bond. They are really not that different. Like Bond, Julian is a professional killer except he has no license from the government to kill; and like Bond, Julian is a lady killer except this aging Don Juan has clearly started feeling an emotional void left by pure sexual pleasures. Shepard even has Danny ask Julian if he is a spy and doing secret work for the government, a clear reference to Brosnan’s 007 past. In essence, Bond is a fantasy, but Julian feels real. Brosnan’s Bond days may be over, but this movie is a good showcase of his acting ability and hopefully will attract a lot more riveting roles for him to give his career a second boost. Shepard’s dialogue is sharp, witty and crisp in this movie, but Brosnan’s delivery adds another depth to Shepard’s words. He says his lines with just the right feelings and makes it impossible to see anyone but him playing this role. His Julian makes you laugh one minute and sad the next. Despite the fact he is a cold blooded killer, you cannot help rooting for him in the end. Kinnear’s Danny strikes a perfect balance and complements Brosnan well, but I wish I could see more of Danny’s wife Bean (played by Hope Davis) in this movie. Davis is so adept at both comedy and drama that she moves from funny moment to dark mood with complete ease in this movie.
Unfortunately, with limited theatrical release, movies such as The Squid and the Whale and The Matador may be too obscure to draw a large audience, but Shepard and Noah Baumbach are undoubtedly the future of Hollywood and I, for one, cannot wait to see what they have to offer next.
In The Matador, two totally dissimilar characters meet by chance and form an unexpected friendship. Julian (played by Pierce Brosnan) is a professional hit man suffering a nervous breakdown and Danny (played by Greg Kinnear) is a typical American middle class salesman going through a tough time. Writer/director Richard Shepard’s script is so original and ingenious that I was completely absorbed into the story. In the first half of the movie, Julian seems to be the cool one in control and Danny is the one down on his luck, but in the second half, there is a subtle power transfer and Danny becomes the strong one while Julian struggles to stay alive.
The line between good and evil is not easily drawn in this movie and Shepard paints all the characters grey instead of black and white. Julian may be an indiscriminating murderer killing for profits, but there is a kind of honor code he follows in what he does. Danny appears to be a nice guy who won’t hurt anyone, but deep down there is human weakness that could lead to darkness hidden inside everybody. From the very beginning, Shepard uses clever editing to set up a nice contrast between Julian’s and Danny’s lives. Later, his editing shows the clumsiness of Danny’s attempt to imitate Julian and adds just the right amount of comic relief. Shepard’s choice of these two seemingly complete opposite characters as the movie’s protagonists makes this movie a unique viewing experience and sets it apart from other assassin movies. It is so interesting to watch Julian’s curiosity about ordinary people’s every day existence and Danny and his wife’s fascination with a hit man’s lifestyle.
Shepard’s Julian is also an assassin much more complex than those usually depicted in movies. I like how Shepard compares Julian to a matador; they are both highly trained and skilled killers and they both strive for some sorts of beauty, dignity and grace in their professions. We can even sense a matador’s calm and precision in Julian’s killings before he has the breakdown. Like another of my favorite movies from last year, The Squid and the Whale, Shepard employs many mirror shots to show character’s inner turmoil. When Julian is waiting for instructions for a new job, he looks through a window to see a group of ballet dancers practice. His hard face on the glass combined with elegant dancers reveals a yearning for beauty in this world and reflects the cruel reality at the same time.
All performances are solid in this movie, but Brosnan clearly dominates it. Wow, who knows he can be this good? Many critics regard Julian as a huge departure from his 007 role, but I disagree. His Julian is an over-the-hill James Bond. They are really not that different. Like Bond, Julian is a professional killer except he has no license from the government to kill; and like Bond, Julian is a lady killer except this aging Don Juan has clearly started feeling an emotional void left by pure sexual pleasures. Shepard even has Danny ask Julian if he is a spy and doing secret work for the government, a clear reference to Brosnan’s 007 past. In essence, Bond is a fantasy, but Julian feels real. Brosnan’s Bond days may be over, but this movie is a good showcase of his acting ability and hopefully will attract a lot more riveting roles for him to give his career a second boost. Shepard’s dialogue is sharp, witty and crisp in this movie, but Brosnan’s delivery adds another depth to Shepard’s words. He says his lines with just the right feelings and makes it impossible to see anyone but him playing this role. His Julian makes you laugh one minute and sad the next. Despite the fact he is a cold blooded killer, you cannot help rooting for him in the end. Kinnear’s Danny strikes a perfect balance and complements Brosnan well, but I wish I could see more of Danny’s wife Bean (played by Hope Davis) in this movie. Davis is so adept at both comedy and drama that she moves from funny moment to dark mood with complete ease in this movie.
Unfortunately, with limited theatrical release, movies such as The Squid and the Whale and The Matador may be too obscure to draw a large audience, but Shepard and Noah Baumbach are undoubtedly the future of Hollywood and I, for one, cannot wait to see what they have to offer next.
1 Comments:
Brosnan在matador里的表演为他赢得了一个金球奖的提名。
Post a Comment
<< Home