Outstanding. Pierce Brosnan plays an emotionally disintergrating and dysfunctional hit-man against type so well he seems a natural at it. Greg Kinnear is great as the other partner in what amounts to an off-beat buddy movie. It just may be the best role of Brosan's career. Forget James Bond, this guy's been hiding his talent. Highly recommended.

Highly entertaining movie,pierce brosnan is a class of his own.

Easily one of the worst movies of all time. Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of a seasoned assassin is laughably deplorable. The storyline is highly unoriginal and uninteresting, with the most disappointing conclusion for a film in the last 70 years. Also, there was a weird homosexual tension between Brosnan's and Kinnear's characters the entire movie. Supposedly in earlier versions of the script, there was a threesome scene with Kinnear, Brosnan, and the actress who plays Kinnear's wife (who's performance is quite possibly the worst in cinematic history). That alone exhibits the quality of this screenplay. Long story short, the Matador should win every single category in this year's Razzie awards, hands down. The user ratings on this site are the most misguided references to utilize on the entire interent.… Expand

This movie was entertaining. Very different but well done. It's just that you can't really like these characters.

Excellent movie, writing and direction was great. I thought it was very well done! Highly recommend it.

Fun diversion, but needed more depth.

Okay, people wonder why the movie industry is going down the toilet - this movie is one reason. First off, I love Pearce Brosnan, and I though he was terrific (hence 1 and not 0). It's the entire rest of the movie that was so terribly done... It's one of those "Good actors, bad script" movies. Secondly, this movie is grossly mis-rated. This is NOT a 14A movie. It should be rated 17 minimum. I took my 15 year old brother to this, and I was absolutely embarrased at the persistant sexual theme throughout the movie. I thought this was a comedy for crissake! I cracked a smile or two, but I certainly would never call this a comedy. I generally try to find the best, but this is honestly the first movie I have ever considered demanding a refund for; first, for not being rated correctly, second, for being terribly written. I would recommend this movie only to people who have already seen all the good movies, and have money to burn on this piece of crap. I also strongly urge parents to not let anyone under the age of 18 see this movie.… Expand

Incredible!! Brosnan was hilarious! The creativity of the story makes it that much better.

Any movie that has the line: "I look like a Bangkok hooker on a Sunday morning after the Navy has left town" is gold in my books. The ending is a bit wishy-washy, and compared to the rest of the movie could have been a little bit more solid and substantial, but all in all, definetly a keeper. Brosnan is magnificent.

Coupla good jokes, but mostly forced labored dialogue for everybody. Kinnear far too gosh gee wiz Mr. Intenational spy killer can you teach me how to be cool too? Brosnan, what exactly was that accent you were doing? Remember to use sunblock down there in Mexico City. I'm worried about your forehead. Hope Davis, hope for you yet. You finally get a chance to smile. Philip Baker Hall usually can be graded far better than his co-stars: this time dragged down by dopey dialogue. Not your fault, bud. Mr. Shepard: try to get the extras to start moving before you say "action" or your film will look like a series of outtakes, like this one.… Expand

Prolly one of the best movies I have seen this month.

Greg Kinnear and Pierce Brosnan are so funny in this movie, right down to their facial expressions and body language. I really enjoyed it.

hovers on the edge,of dark reality and comic suspence,but keeps you guessing all the way through.

This is a nice little action thriller with a good dose of comedy. The director gets the film moving along nicely and the use of color, and music throughout the film is exceptional. Worth watching just for that. Great cinematography. Brosnan portrayal of a hitman losing it is very funny but also very well done. There is just enough suspense and things left unsaid to keep you interested throughout.

Maybe not a 10 but deserves it to round out the inane comments here. It's a smart, witty laugh-fest which perhaps features too much goofy worship from Kinnear's everyman character and generates too much sympathy for Brosnan's hit-man character, if one can even find him savory. Speaking of Brosnan, he is PERFECT for the part, being the hilariously sharp, arrogant, psychopathic and egocentric character that he is. I think the script could have moved in a better moral and sensible direction but, as long as you just take this for cotton candy, you'll laugh your head off. The way this is filmed, it's supposed to be more of an over the top comedy which has both pros and cons. Overall, I thought this was one of the funnier surprises I've seen in a long time.… Expand

sexy beast meets the ref. which sounds a little better than it is. good acting, good attitude, but an incompletely thought out story (with an unnecessary nasty plot point involving a child that still befuddles me.) admirable effort, but you can wait for the dvd.

Easily one of the better written and acted films of the year. It appears predictable, but ultimately eschews cliches in favor of a unique, at times zany, at times pathos-laden comedy. Great performance by Pierce, who appears eager to shed the shackles of the Bond persona.

Pierce Brosnan in an amazing performance. Extremely entertaining.

What a shame that the pair of "Analyze This" films had to exist because this take on a chemically imbalanced psychopath is fresh in spite of the subject's overfamiliarity. When Pierce Brosnan reaches his breaking point, it doesn't feel like a ham-a-thon because the former-James Bond already has a track record of registering more than one facial expression(if you look at the Robert DeNiro oeuvre, more often than not he's frowning). "The Matador" is a constant surprise because we walk into the theater with the wrong set of criteria, the one reserved for wide release fare. When I saw Hope Davis' name during the opening credits, I said to myself, "Oh, Hope Davis isn't normally a slummer," and she doesn't start here. When Davis uses the "f"-word in "The Weather Man", she's cutting; here, her usage is a comic highlight. Paired with Greg Kinnear(who is good and rightfully bland as a middle-class guy, but imagine the comic heights if Davis was reteamed with her "American Splendor" co-star), they reduce Pierce Brosnan from James Bond to capable ensemble actor. And that's a good thing. The leap forward in the film's timeline feels self-consciously like Tarantino-lite, but what is revealed when the film returns to that juncture actually surprises, actually works. This grade might be a little too high, but the song that graces "The Matador('s)" final scene will leave you with a stupid grin on your face if you're aware of the band's name.… Expand

And that's just for Pierce Brosnan.

Juan V.: Funny, you mention "there's a weird homosexual tension between Brosnan and Kinnear", yet the "storyline is highly unoriginal and uninteresting". Could it be that you were turned off by that particular interesting storyline, among others? I found it highly original that Kinnear played a real person - heavy faults and all. Kinnear's wife in the movie, Hope Davis, was supremely realistic. I guess she didn't look like Keira Knightly - perhaps that was the problem for Juan. And Pierce Brosnan played a relatively original character. Combined with the music and a somewhat edgy style, it was a joy to watch. I do agree with one of Juan's comments, about "the user ratings on this site are the most misguided references to utilize on the entire interent (sic)". Maybe Juan is putting us on with his review, and I missed the inherent joke. Good job, if that's the case.… Expand

Pretty well acted, but story lacks in polish and closure. This is one of those movies that has a good cast and premise, and becuase of that you want to like it. . . but in the end you feel a little underwhelmed. Most of the newer films coming out these days end up being too long, The Matador seems like it was too short because of the fact that it didn't tell the complete story.

Nice to see a different side of Pierce, and Kinnear was fantastic.

Dark enough to keep you wondering what might happen, but great character continuity and consistency. The dialog and interaction between Brosnan and Kinnear has the exact right level of humor, realism and sentimentality.

A surprisingly good film... Brosnan finally lets us see that he is a real actor, not just the stone face James Bond (who is a static character anyway). Brosnan and Kinnear do fantastic and, considering the plot, this movie is surprisingly thrilling. Very well done.

This film came at me out of the blue. There i was fully expecting it to be awful but wow. Brosnan delivered a great performance and the story of friendship made me watch it a second time straight away. The last scene aswell was just pure genius and everytime i listen to that killers song it makes me think of this film. A great film with some great twists you don't see happening.

If I hadn't seen the preview I wouldn't have thought Brosnan could do something so offbeat and edgy and fascinating to watch. He was terrific as was the entire segment in Mexico. Ebert's review is spot on so check it out for more details. Highly recommended.

I never noticed how tall Brosnan is until this picture. According to IMDB he stands a robust 6'1". Somehow his height heightens the pathetic nature of his character. Brosnan is an assasin, seedy, naturally amoral, sexually promiscuous, not a people person who spends the whole movie apologizing to Greg Kinnear when he could have easily killed him. (Killing Kinnear is apparently legal in 13 states) The reasons why Brosnan keeps apologizing form the basis of the film. Of course Brosnan gives the best performance of his career, at this rate his next great one comes in what 2059, and Kinnear's annoying nature is put to good effect.… Expand

Sociopathic, alcoholic, womanizing (male slut) hitman has mid-life crisis and we're supposed to feel sorry for and love him. Also, we're supposed to believe he can stop working for the mob by killing Mr. Big (as if the organization would not hunt him down). Phony emotion; third-rate acting; no humor; a total bomb.

Loved this film. Pierce was marvelous! A risky character to play... he took a real chance and nailed it! He exhibits some terrific quirky talent here. A questionable character to be sure, but who could take their eyes off him? (Why would anyone think they were supposed to "love" him?) Found it totally enjoyable.