While all eyes are fixed on the new James Bond, the old one has pulled off something rather sneaky.
Who knows why 52-year-old Pierce Brosnan, after four successful outings, lost his job as the world's most famous spy. But The Matador - a breezily savage, occasionally obscene, poignant crime comedy - is the perfect revenge on his former paymasters.
Brosnan excels as hitman Julian Noble, "a magnificently cold moron" (his words) on the verge of a nervous breakdown - lonely, jittery and thus in danger of being replaced by a "younger, cheaper kid".
One night, on a job in Mexico, he strikes up a conversation with an unassuming, businessman (Greg Kinnear) and, at a bullfight the next day, teaches him about the perfect kill. Six months later, on a snowy Denver night, we find out whether the lesson hit home.
Brosnan has exposed subtle sides before but, thanks to the wonderfully twisty script, he shows something new here.
There's no missing the point that elegant tuxedos can turn into straitjackets. Younger, cheaper Daniel Craig may be grabbing the headlines right now, but it's a non-blonde who is having all the fun.
Screens again at thefilmworks, Greenwich, on Monday, 8.30pm. The LFF runs until 3 November. Information: 020 7928 3232.
The Matador
Cert: 15
