Joe Leydon
Variety
A quirky yet commercial commingling of black comedy, seriocomic psychodrama, heart-tugging sudser and buddy-movie farce.
"For a much better attempt at this kind of storytelling, make a mental note to some day check out Israeli writer-director Eytan Fox’s Walk on Water."
-- Kevin Biggers, FILMSTEW.COM
2/5 "Explores the friendship between a hit man and a suburban businessman that strains belief and leads to a totally improbable finale."
-- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
3/4 "Like the down-and-out version of his Tailor of Panama character, Brosnan’s performance here is a sincere treasure; possibly the most entertaining of his career."
-- Erik Childress, EFILMCRITIC.COM
3/5 "Slightly more engaging than most, even when the plot starts to stretch rather thin in the final act"
-- Rich Cline, SHADOWS ON THE WALL
8.5/10 "Shepard and his terrific cast turns a fairly simple premise into one of those rare buddy comedies that has both brains and heart!"
-- Edward Douglas, COMINGSOON.NET
B- "A deft psychological thriller."
-- Harvey S. Karten, COMPUSERVE
3.5/5 "Mixing comedy and the hit man thriller, Matador is a dialogue-driven buddy film about two disparate men (Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear) who meet in a hotel bar--and help each other go through mid-life crisis. "
-- Emanuel Levy, EMANUELLEVY.COM
8/10 "...a captivating comedy. Brosnan gives the best performance of his career. Kinnear is a true comic genius."
-- Tony Medley, TONYMEDLEY.COM
3/4 "...moves at a brisk pace and features a pair of exceedingly enjoyable performances..."
-- David Nusair, REEL FILM REVIEWS
"This occasionally stylish effort from writer/director Richard Shepard just can't make up for its lightweight script."
-- Jon Popick, PLANET SICK-BOY
1/4 "A painful morass of Odd Couple bickering and Elmore Leonard-style criminal kookiness."
-- Nicholas Schager, SLANT MAGAZINE
4/5 "Brosnan and Kinnear deliver one of the most satisfying "guy movie" duos since De Niro and Grodin paired up for Midnight Run."
-- Scott Weinberg, EFILMCRITIC.COM
3.5/4 "A testament to the relatively unknown Shepard’s imagination and smarts."
-- PREMIERE MAGAZINE
-- Click to read the article.
-- Hanh Nguyen, ZAP2IT.COM
4/5 "Rarely does an ensemble cast of such limited numbers create such charm and entertainment derived from plot and character."
-- Jules Brenner (FC), CINEMA SIGNALS
2.5/4 "Neither challenging nor incompetent, the picture isn't courageous enough to fail and thus not courageous enough to be a masterpiece."
-- Walter Chaw, FILM FREAK CENTRAL
B- "...plays a little classier, a little more hip than it otherwise might have due to Pierce Brosnan's rascally embracement of poking holes in his own image..."
-- Laura Clifford, REELING REVIEWS
3/5 "Manages to transcend the cliches of its basic plotline on the strength of the character-acting so richly developed by the film's two stars."
-- Francesca Dinglasan, BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE
6/10 "Sneaky, off-beat, satirically seedy psychodrama/thriller with Pierce Brosnan as a droll, comically demented hit-man"
-- Susan Granger, MODAMAG.COM
"...thoroughly enjoyable and equally shallow."
-- Andy Klein, LOS ANGELES CITYBEAT
5/10 "Its Like 'after The Sunset' Without Salma Hayak."
-- Fiore Mastracci, OUTTAKES WITH FIORE
4/4 "Dark comedies like this one are far too rare these days."
-- Scott Nash, THREE MOVIE BUFFS
4/5 "Told with kinetic flair and a go-for-broke style that's more amusing than engrossing."
-- Sean O'Connell, ECLIPSE MAGAZINE
3/4 "An effective, wise, and frequently amusing entertainment that fondly sticks in the viewer's memory after the end credits have finished rolling."
-- Dustin Putman, THEMOVIEBOY.COM
C+ "Where an actor's comfort zone and preconception of audience expectation intersect, Richard Shepard's The Matador exists."
-- Brent Simon, NOW PLAYING MAGAZINE
3/5 "The Matador has that shiny sheen that quickly fades, yet is still fun while it lasts."
-- Daniel Wible, FILM THREAT
B+ Click to read the article.
-- Eric D. Snider, ERICDSNIDER.COM
Pierce Bronson is slimy and greasy and wears shiny suits and is stunning in this role..
its a good movie to pass a winter afternoon, quirky and...may drag a bit but its worth the 10.00
