A dark character study

It's very refreshing to see Pierce Brosnan without a tuxedo.\nFor the last decade of his life, Brosnan has been known almost exclusively as James Bond, and in that super secret agent's shoes, he has arguably done more to further sexism and misogyny than any other man alive. \nApparently, Brosnan understands that and has made a movie about a man who could be dutifully described as Bond's alcoholic half brother, the one who didn't make it into MI6. I'm not sure if he agreed to act in this film to both reinvent himself and tear down the Bond myth, but that is the result. He plays this role perfectly.\n"The Matador" is written and directed by Richard Shepard, formerly of a bunch of movies you've most likely never heard of. His film follows professional "facilitator of fatalities" Julian Noble (Brosnan) as he hops the globe. He spends a lot of this time self-medicating with booze (whiskey and beer; not just "shaken, not stirred"), sex (often with hookers) and a steadfast sense of humor as he delivers "portfolios" assigned to him by a handler, played by Philip Baker Hall. Noble's the best in his business until his humanity finally catches up with him and he starts losing his nerve, a serious problem if you're a hired killer. \nAfter delivering a portfolio in Mexico City Noble finds himself alone and friendless on his birthday. He scours his address book for someone to call, finds no one and ends up at a brothel and then a bar -- where, by his unforeseen good luck, he shares a drink with a completely legit salesman, Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear). Noble, although he meant well, insults the memory of Wright's dead son by telling a dick joke, then apologizes and eventually latches on to Wright's sense of calm and normalcy ... and enlists him to help with one last job. Sounds a little convoluted, but it works. \nThe story, honestly, is the last reason you should go to see this film, as it's only real purpose is to introduce the audience to the characters. We've seen a million buddy movies of this sort and Shepard doesn't bother to waste our time with another. Instead, he takes the time to explore humanity with a man who has chosen to ignore his own for years. \nKinnear is great as the nervous straight, and he does a little lampooning of his own: he plays a character similar to the grieving father he was in "Godsend," which was one of the worst films of 2004. That had to be on his mind when he pulls off a believable and likable version of nearly the same guy. \nBut the real star here is Brosnan, and you'll be thoroughly impressed as he takes his image as an international man of mystery and rips it to shreds. He does this with a couple of well placed lines ("I look like a Bangkok hooker on a Sunday morning after the navy's left town") and surprising depth of emotion. Equal props should be given Shepard, who wrote a script that's both darkly comedic and touching at the same time.\nBrosnan looks good in a suit, but it turns out he can act, too. "The Matador" isn't a bad turnaround at all.