The Matador

In a hotel bar in Mexico City, two men from very different worlds strike up a conversation. Julian Noble is a cynical, heavy-drinking hitman whose work has brought him to the city; Danny Wright is a mild-mannered businessman there to close a deal that could solve his financial troubles. Though the two seem to have nothing in common, circumstances keep throwing them together, and Danny finds himself drawn into Julian's unconventional world. What begins as an odd acquaintance becomes a bond that reshapes both men's lives, and pushes Danny well beyond the ordinary existence he knows. The film moves between crime, comedy and drama as it follows the consequences of that encounter.

Richard Shepard wrote and directed The Matador, the third film in his directing career and one that sits between Oxygen and The Hunting Party. Pierce Brosnan, who also produced, plays Julian, moving away from the polished roles he was previously known for, with Greg Kinnear as Danny and Hope Davis as Danny's wife, Bean. The cast runs to forty-three credited performers, supported by a crew of 246. Shot on a modest ten-million-dollar budget, the film returned roughly seventeen million dollars worldwide.

Audiences give it a 6.3 out of 10 on TMDB across more than five hundred votes, while critics, based on 156 reviews, rate it slightly higher at 6.7 out of 10.