Burnt-out professional hit-man Pierce Brosnan travels around the globe snuffing out his targets, but he may be feeling at the end of his rope; in Mexico City, Brosnan strikes up a friendship (his only one) with struggling American businessman Greg Kinnear and involves the mild-mannered man in his life. "The Matador" (the title a metaphor for the hit-man's precarious existence) appears to be the usual buddy-formula business, but it does offer a few canny surprises. Production and handling are exceptionally clever, though the central friendship isn't terribly convincing--nor is the elongated finale. The more somber undercurrents of the script border on the pretentious, though Brosnan and Kinnear give equally strong performances. The movie leaves you pondering the characters and their lives, yet doesn't satisfy with substantial answers. That flightiness may be deliberate, but it doesn't leave the viewer with a strong affection for the film's sassy, shallow execution. **1/2 from ****
Review of The Matador
