The Matador

Composed by Rolfe Kent

01 - A Town Called Malice (2:54)

       Performed by The Jam

02 - El Matador (4:35)

       Performed by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

03 - It's Not Unusual (2:00)

       Performed by Tom Jones

04 - 1,2,3,4 (4:13)

       Performed by Titan

05 - Manila Fiasco (2:38)

       Performed by Rolfe Kent

06 - Garbageman (3:35)

       Performed by The Cramps

07 - In The Heat of the Moment (3:50)

       Performed by Asia

08 - Bahia Blanca (3:03)

       Performed by Ramon Stagnaro

09 - A Mi Guitarra (2:49)

       Performed by Daniel Indart

10 - Matador Theme (2:42)

       Performed by Rolfe Kent

11 - One Night in Mexico (2:39)

       Performed by Rolfe Kent

12 - In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (3:13)

       Performed by Dave Van Norden

13 - No Te Rajes (3:03)

       Performed by Mariachi "La Estrelia"

Produced by Shiro Gutzie

Released by Superb Records on August 23, 2005

Total Running Time: 41:20

     Pierce Brosnan will never shake his image as Bond (especially for those, like me, who view him favorably in the role), however it's nice to see that instead of trying to run as far away from that role as he can, he's actually having fun with his status as a newly minted ex-007. Case in point is this delightful film which casts Brosnan as an over-the-hill corporate assassin. Killing people and sleeping around are the only traits he has in common with the world famous secret agent, as Brosnan's character in this film finds himself increasingly disenchanted with the lonely lifestyle that being a globe-trotting assassin brings about. Hilariously over-the-top at times, The Matador is not an attempt to showcase what a real-life assassin would be like, but rather to approach the Bond-type figure from a different angle (especially with subtle themes of Brosnan's character being bisexual, a definite twist on the formula).

     Set in Mexico City for the most part, it should come as no surprise that the soundtrack to this film contains a heavy Latin influence. The music works in the context of playing underneath the movie, and on album the infectious Latin music plays well, even when isolated from the images. The soundtrack is primarily constructed with songs that do make appearances (as opposed to just being a random collection), though moments of true score material does exist, thanks to the talents of composer Rolfe Kent (Mean Girls, Wedding Crashers). The score fits the style that is imbued by the song selections, though occasionally it drops the fun and delves into darker territory for the moments of deep reflection in the film. On the downside, however, Kent doesn't do much to leave a lasting impression and the score tends to lose its identity to the songs, which are more interesting in their construction.

     Thus, The Matador is more akin to a comedy "score" than anything, and is useful for those who enjoyed the Hispanic music heard in the film. Those interested in Kent's take on the genre might be interested, but generally speaking, this is not the album to pick up for his score alone.