The Matador

Writer-director Richard Shepherd's 'The Matador' is a funny, sad and vulgar story about a hitman's mid-life crisis. 'Facilitator' Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) is suffering from uncertainty and loneliness, quickly losing his faith in life. He also spends his birthday in a brothel full of Mexican lady-boys. It's here Julian finds depressed salesman Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear), and the pair quickly form a strong on-screen bond. With both actors riffing off each other to great effect, Kinnear's suburban angst complimenting Brosnan's headstrong desperation, 'The Matador' never relies on set pieces or huge explosions. Its satire on the ultra-masculine action genre succeeds on strong performances from all involved. [Hamza Khan]