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03/17/08
The Matador (2008)
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Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:15
Fresh:12
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.8/10
Theatrical Release:Oct 31, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Matador' is the epic tale of David Fandila's quest to become the world's top-ranked bullfighter. Heart-wrenching setbacks and thrilling successes dramatize 'El Fandi's' three-year journey across... [More]
Director: Stephen Higgins
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Reviews for The Matador
1 - 14 (sorted by critic A-Z)
Stripping away centuries of civilization, The Matador confronts something primal in human nature, daring us to do the same.
10/31/08
Top CriticOne of the more comprehensive looks at bullfighting we've seen in this country.
10/30/08
More observational than overtly critical, The Matador reveals the ways that violence defines a conventional, familiar, and increasingly scrutinized masculinity.
11/14/08
Issues of class don't matter to the filmmakers, who pride above all else Fandila's justifications for what he does, romanticizing the possibility of his dying while giving the bulls he dances with the shaft.
10/26/08
Stunningly photographed in high-definition, The Matador evokes the art of a well-choreographed dance in its portrait of a brutal pseudo-sport.
10/30/08
PETA activists will be apoplectic, but the pic is geared to more culturally open-minded viewers unacquainted with the subtleties of the corrida, revealing that it’s a primitive though complex sport, and that Fandila is an athlete with a dancer’s skills.
09/02/08
Top CriticMostly The Matador romanticizes a brutal tradition that has no place in the 21st century.
10/31/08
Top CriticThe film does a fine job constructing a timeless piece of work with a sharp-bladed cleaver and steady hand.
10/31/08
The Matador reserves judgment while raising the core issue concerning this traditional ritual: deep, poetic cultural expression or glorified animal cruelty?
11/26/08
Top CriticThe Matador reserves judgment while raising the core issue concerning this traditional ritual: deep, poetic cultural expression or glorified animal cruelty?
10/29/08
Top Critic. For all of its inherent gore and breathtaking surprises, "The Matador" is an essential window on the personality of an athlete working in an incredibly dangerous sport.
10/18/08
[The filmmakers] capture the paradox of beauty and cruelty that charges their entire film. The Matador is rightly exciting -- and unsettling.
11/26/08
Top CriticThe Matador suffers from a very predictable, almost staged quality when capturing Fandila’s unsequined life outside the ring.
10/29/08
1 - 14 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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October 12, 2008:
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