Despite a misleading title that might deter some viewers from giving this highly original film a glance, "The Matador" delivers a bravura performance by Pierce Brosnan, who erases any memory of a guy named Bond with his rendition of aging hitman, Julian Noble.

Globe-trotting from one assignment the next, Julian is a guy with an attitude and serious burn-out looming in his future. It’s his quirky personality ticks that—gasp—make him loveable. His spiked hair, gold necklace and hee-haw laugh open the film, as he examines the sleeping woman in bed with him. Does he wake her for more sex? No, he rifles through her bag, finds her nail polish and proceeds to paint HIS toenails.

Friendless and lonely on his birthday in Mexico City after a successful hit, he meets the unsuspecting, congenial Danny (Kinnear) bar side. Tact is not Julian’s strong suit as he speedily insults Danny with his boorish comments. Danny, desperate to complete a business deal after many failures and the recent death of his son, is not ready for Julian’s unpredictable crassness and makes a quick exit.

But Julian has reached some sort of midlife crossroads in this tale and feels remorse about the loss of a possible friend—he has none—and invites Danny to a bullfight. One thing leads to another and after a confession to Danny about his wife’s accidental death, the two men form a tentative bond. (Sorry…)

During the sporting event, Julian admits to not having a permanent home or address and eventually reveals his profession ("a handler, a facilitator") to the amazed Danny. In keeping with the off-balance tone of this unique script, Danny’s reaction is wonderfully unshocked and Julian’s demonstration of a typical hit illustrates black comedy at its finest.

This odd couple pairing invites the unexpected and provides great witty banter. "Just consider me the best cocktail story you ever met," Julian angrily tells Danny, who has just rejected Julian’s plea to help him on a job. It seems Julian is losing his touch and has been trigger-shy of late.

Six months pass. Admitting exhaustion and the "need for a break" to his contact (Philip Baker Hall) in Budapest, Julian realizes that he is a dead man if he cannot complete his next assignment. Resourceful as usual he tracks down "the luckiest man he has ever met", Danny, for refuge.

Hope Davis as wife Bean is refreshing in her responses to the atypical Julian. "There is a…killer in our…living room. Do you think he would show me his gun?" "Aren’t we the height of cosmopolitan? A trained assassin in our home?" Indeed the dialogue in this off-kilter film keeps interests high. "I look like a Bangkok hooker on a Sunday morning after the Navy has left town," Julian nonchalantly declares, describing his haggard appearance.

Visually, "The Matador" is arresting as well with shots of an actual bullfight interspersed during the Mexico City scenes. Screaming huge lettered graphics announcing the scene locations ("MANILA," "DENVER") provide additional bold confidence. A tree crashing through the roof as Danny and Bean make love forecasts the future chaos. Brosnan parading through the hotel lobby clad only in a black Speedo, sunglasses and black shoes is worth the price of admission alone. Ditto the next underwater shot with Brosnan open-eyed, beer in hand.

A cleverly woven story that paints a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a lonely, sweet (gasp) hitman and the unexpected friendship he forges with a mainstream suburbanite, "The Matador" is easily one of the best films of 2005.