Soundtrack Review: The Matador

By Douglas Strassler Feb 20, 2006, 20:11 GMT

Soundtrack for the movie The Matador ...more

Pierce Brosnan scored a Golden Globe nomination last year for his comedic work in The Matador. Apparently, his post-James Bond life hasn’t been so bad after all. The film is about an aging hitman, Julian Noble (Brosnan), who has lost his magic touch.

In Mexico, he begins to develop a reciprocal friendship with married American salesman Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear). Eventually, their relationship instigates both men to act in ways out of character for each of them. Rolfe Kent, fresh off his jazz-infused triumph of Sideways, scores the soundtrack to Matador with some eclectic beats. “Manila Fiasco,” the first track, fuses trumpets, piano, and bongos to create an up-tempo groove. Kent also flavors in some Spanish guitar tracks on numbers “A Mi Guitarra,” “Bahia Blanca,” and “No Te Rajes.”

The title track is a more laidback affair, appearing later on the soundtrack. On it, Kent uses dulcimer, harps and castanets. Eventually, it picks up, only to slow down again when a full orchestra joins in. The album’s final track, “One Night in Mexico,” is a very good choice on Kent’s part to match the film’s serio-comic tone. It begins in slow, somber fashion, then picks up as flutes join in, creating a much lighter tone.

The soundtrack does not feature just Kent’s work. Also appearing are such light-hearted classics like The Cramps’ “Garbageman,” “Asia’s ‘80s favorite “Heat of the Moment,” and Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual.” All of these tracks add to the heartbeat of Matador, a movie with a most curious way of looking at both good guys and bad guys.