There's a reason so many jokes start out with the line, "Two guys walk into a bar…" People do really stupid things in bars: dance to Vanilla Ice songs for one, or -- in the case of Richard Shepard's 'The Matador' -- tell a complete stranger their darkest secrets and deepest fears. In short, it's a good set-up. So when hit man Julian Noble (played with hilarious machismo by Pierce Brosnan) and businessman Danny Wright (pitch-perfect straight man Greg Kinnear) walk into a hotel bar in Mexico and sit down next to each other, you just know the punch line is going to be good. After 20 years at the top of his game, Julian's aging assassin has begun to reflect upon his life -- a refreshing development for a spy movie -- and has realized he's utterly alone. Danny, who's in Mexico pitching a business proposition, feels that he needs to close the deal or his deteriorating financial situation may spell the end of his marriage. The two men meet at their most vulnerable and find in their strange friendship something they need: For Julian, it's companionship and finally being honest with someone about his job; for Danny, it's the excitement of hanging out with a trained killer who's never at a loss for a good Thai prostitute quip. Their twilight zone friendship is put to the test, however, when Julian asks Danny to help him with a hit, the outcome of which will determine Julian's fate. But the plot here is secondary to the finely drawn characters and the loyalty these two mismatched buddies unexpectedly feel for each other. As they ultimately learn, one good friend is more valuable than all the prostitutes in Thailand.

Inside the DVD Skip the boring making-of featurette and go straight for the good stuff: a feature-length commentary in which Brosnan and Kinnear crack jokes nonstop while director Richard Shepard tries (unsuccessfully) to rein them in. Added bonus: There are 11 deleted scenes on this DVD and not all of them suck. Killer!
Unforgettable Scene When Julian unexpectedly shows up at Danny's home in Denver, the two men, along with Danny's wife Bean (a brilliantly loopy Hope Davis), get roaring drunk. It is during this hilarious en-vino-veritas bonding session that we come to fully understand the characters and what they need. Julian needs Danny; Danny needs Bean; and Bean needs to keep making us crack up with lines such as, "Aren't we fu*#ing cosmopolitan? Having a trained assassin stay overnight?"
Awards & Nominations Trading in James Bond's tuxedo and martini for Julian Noble's neon Speedo and muchas margaritas, Brosnan earned a Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) Golden Globe nomination for his darkly comedic turn in the film. Maybe he should wear that Speedo more often. On second thought, once was plenty.
Why You Should See It Freed of the one-dimensional Bond cookie-cutter, Brosnan gets to flaunt more layers than a Mexican wedding cake. His portrayal of a boozy, sleazy (yet heartbreakingly endearing) bastion of immorality, along with a screenplay that deftly avoids all the "one-last-job-and-out" genre clichés, make for a hit-man flick that truly nails its mark.