The Matador

If one would wanted to be cruel (and I am going to be it for a second here), he would call 'The Matador' nothing but a cheap ripoff of Grosse Pointe Blank, with weak characters, less comedy and obviously a weaker soundtrack. But to be quite frank this would be a little exaggerated. There are a lot of similarties between this movie and 'Grosse Pointe Blank', but 'The Matador' isn't really cheap and manages to speak up for himself.

'The Matador' is a black comedy about an assassin and a salesman learning to know each other and becoming friends. Both on a business trip they meet each other in Mexico and spend a nice time together. At first the salesman doubts the profession of the assassin, but sooner or later he manages to convince him. The heart of the movie is the long way these two characters undertake until they end up as friends. The comedy derives from the fact that the killings and the profession of the assassin are taken up just like any other job by the salesman.

The idea of 'Assassins need friends aswell' is what makes this movie feel so similar to 'Grosse Pointe Blank' and it certainly is a weak spot of it. The good news is that this movie isn't a romance, but rather a drama which draws it a little away from 'Grosse Pointe Blank'. Another thing that helps 'The Matador' a lot is its cast. Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear and Hope Davis all deliver strong roles. Especially Kinnear whom I usually tend to dislike, shines. I also disliked Davis when I saw her previously in Proof, but she also did very well inside this one.

This is one of the few movies that proves re-using ideas can work out. While 'Grosse Pointe Blank'. surely is superior to it, it's still entertaining to watch 'The Matador'. It's nicely brought to screen, it looks good and it's entertaining - what can one expect more of a comedy? As long as one knows the roots of it, I think it's perfecly okay to enjoy this one. So go ahead and check it out - You'll definitely have a good time!