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Before viewing, the film's premise made me fear for the worst knowing that Pierce Brosnan would be straying from his star-making 007 qualities and go on to (in)directly mock those very characteristics by portraying the jaded assassin, Julian Noble. My doubts were quickly reversed however as the ex-Bond possibly delivers his finest performance as the lonely, yet comical character, with jokes (one about a hooker and the Navy in particular) complimenting his fine talent. In addition to a superb Brosnan, Richard Shepard's weird buddy dark comedy is moulded together by an outstanding Greg Kinnear who plays Noble's nervy, unsuccessful, unlucky friend, and one-time unwilling accomplice. Shephard directs an independent-style film with a strong moral consciousness, and this is what makes the picture work. Due to typecasting, the majority of the audience see Brosnan as Bond, but the appeal lies in his transformation into this new and relatively unique character and the development of an unconventional friendship. Hope Davis joins in proceedings well without getting the chance to steal the spotlight from Kinnear and Pierce as the story unfolds rapidly over a vast geographical landscape, encompassing all the entertainment you need without overrunning. The twists are very engaging and ethically correct which result in a heart-warming, sincere treasure of a film.
The extras
Both commentaries are very good and truthful about the production of the film, especially the second with Brosnan, Kinnear and Shepard. The featurette and deleted scenes are simply average with a few little touches of further insight such as how difficult it was working for 40 days in Mexico and excluding various scenes due to test audiences and tone.
The summary
This picture should definitely not be dismissed with Shephard infusing filmic qualities that are superior to standard cinematic fodder which fill up the multiplex screens nowadays between the blockbusters. A very enjoyable yarn which deserves repeated viewings, if only to see outstanding acting and simple storytelling, a trait which has become all too infrequent in recent times.
