Max Burdett, played by a scruffy Pierce
Brosnan as a sort of James Bond gone bad,
is a jewel thief, which is sort of an
anachronism in the 21st century. Bling-bling
aside, does anybody still have jewels? In any
case, as "After the Sunset" opens, Max and his
lovely accomplice Lola (Salma Hayek) have
retired to Paradise Island in the Caribbean,
having just pulled off the heist of a lifetime by
stealing the second of the Napoleon
diamonds. Meanwhile, Max's long time
nemesis, FBI agent Stan Lloyd (Woody
Harrelson), is hot on his trail, not believing for
a second that Max has given up his life of
crime. Stan teams up with a local cop, Sophie
(Naomie Harris of "28 Days Later)," to figure
out Max and Lola's angle, but once again Max
is able to turn the tables, befriending his
one-time foe in order to muddy the waters.
Toss in a local crime boss who is literally
called "Kingpin" (Don Cheadle) and you've got
the makings of a classic caper comedy the
likes of "To Catch a Thief" or "The Pink
Panther" films... only not. Films like those are,
of course, artifacts of their time; reset
contemporarily, they would seem silly (despite
the fact that there is a "Pink Panther" remake
in the works) rather than funny, which is how
"After the Sunset" feels--kinda inane and a bit
rote.
If you really want to see a good caper film
starring Pierce Brosnan, pick up his 1999
remake of "The Thomas Crown Affair" with
Rene Russo. It's not a comedy, but it's funny
when it wants to be, the puzzle is dense with a
few good twists and it's rated R, so the sexual
tension turn into actual sex, which never
happens in "After the Sunset."
Starring Pierce
Bronsan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson,
Don Cheadle, Obba Babatunde and Naomie
Harris. Directed by Brett Ratner. Written by
Paul Zbyszewski and Craig Rosenberg.
Produced by Beau Fynn and Jay Stern. A New
Line release. Adventure/Comedy. Rated
PG-13 for sexuality, violence and language.
Running time: 100 min
No comments were posted.