After the Sunset

The Seven Seas Navigator is docking in Paradise Island in the Bahamas for a solid week…They're having a nice promotion for the maiden voyage, calling it the Diamond Cruise: a gem exhibit whose star attraction is the third Napoleon Diamond… It's, allegedly, the only priceless remaining 'cute little rock' Max Burdett and Lola Cirillo haven't stolen…

The unlocking Special Agent Stan Lloyd of the FBI (Woody Harrelson) suspects that the two are planning to purloin it… But how could they with six cameras plus 24-hour rotating guards, unbreakable polycarbonate display?

Max (Pierce Brosnan) knows he can easily clip Napoleon III and make Lloyd look like a jerk again… For him, it's more about the challenge and the alibi—that's his work of art… But he affirms that the two are a couple of retirees trying to enjoy the island life…

The gorgeous Lola (Salma Hayek) knows that, with Max, they went out at the top of their game, undefeated… They were great together… But, now, she feels it is the best time to quit… For her, now, the challenge is to find joy in simple things, as a life filled with sunsets…

Lloyd was chasing Max for seven years—ever since the first Napoleon Diamond went missing… That day, he got to the scene, and took a few shots at the getaway car… Next day, a bottle of champagne arrives at FBI Headquarters with a note saying, "Aim for the tires next time."

In the island, Lloyd teams up with the beautiful Sophie (Naomie Harris) a local intriguing cop who requires a big arrest…

On the scene also appears Henri Mooré (Don Cheadle)—the biggest gangster on the island—who affirms to Max that the impoverished people of the island need his help, and that a cash injection in tens of millions of dollars would relieve the entire Caribbean… So, he suggests to Max a partnership… He would give him what he doesn't have: access to the marina, the crews, rotation schedules, whatever he needs…

With picturesque sunsets, this colorful caper comedy has plenty of beauty, fun and humor

This is a somewhat entertaining cat and mouse thriller with Brosnan, Hayek and Harrelson at the top of their game. The film starts out promisingly enough with a diamond heist which is more slapstick than suspenseful.

After the heist Harrelson follows the pair to an island where he believes they plan another big job. As the two male characters get more closely acquainted throughout the film we start to wonder who's tricking who.

Brosnan displays rare emotion in this film. Harrelson escapes his Cheers role by excellently portraying the many sides of what would have been a simple character.Hayek doesn't miss a chance to show off her body, and Don Cheadle's villain was superb. The only problem with that character was that we didn't see enough of him.

The film has some nice scenery and entertaining scenes, particularly the shark capture.Rush hour director Ratner has made a great film, which only really lacks style and good pacing. this film would have been better handled in the reins of, say, Steven Soderbergh.

But nonetheless, a very funny enjoyable film which will please fans of the cast and crew, as well as the movie-going public. It's not up to the standard of Oceans's eleven yet it beats the likes of Ocean's 12. Any fan of the comedy/thriller genre should go see this film, but I will be looking more forward to Rush Hour 3.

"After the sunset" is surely not a demanding film...and none of us expected to be one. Take Pierce Brosnan - a great showman and a guy with asense of humor, add sexy as she's ever been Salma Hayek, add Woody Harrelson in good form, top it off with decent screenplay that does not take itself too seriously or risk falling into pretentious or shallow territory and you have yourself a very entertaining little piece of movie-making. There's not much to discuss about After the sunset. It has a lot of funny moments, at times it's silly and implausible but you don't really have time to think about that. It's without doubt not the best movie Pierce, Salma or Woody have made, but it's far from the worst either. If you're looking for an hour and a half of casual entertainment with solid performances, script and directing go see it...you'll feel pretty good after you do :)

Opening with a scene at a professional basketball game, we quickly find, as do observing FBI agents, that we've been had. The die is cast; 'After the Sunset' will provide a series of feints and jabs, dodges and weavings that will prove to be less edifying than some great jewel heist films of the past. But we still are treated to enough satisfying moments to say this is a pretty good film.

Max Burdett (Pierce Brosnan) and his girlfriend Lola Cirillo (Salma Hayek) are in retirement, having stepped down from the ranks of the international jewel thief set, and are enjoying the good life in the Bahamas. Woody Harrelson (as FBI agent Stan Lloyd) has appeared on the scene; he is less sure they have retired and with the arrival in port of a ship-borne display of jewels (featuring 'The Third Napoleon Diamond' in the collection) has them under close watch.

Agent Lloyd has always been thwarted in capturing Max and Lola; this is personal. How the characters play against each other (various local officials become interested and ultimately involved as well) as the clock ticks (the ship is due to leave soon) elevates our interest. Don Cheadle (local crime boss Kingpin) is a key figure among the Bahamians with influence on the outcome.

Jewel heist in paradise. That might be a working title for a script which would become the film 'After the Sunset'. Writer Paul Zbyszewski (previous experience on TV's 'The Weakest Link') has fashioned a reasonably believable story line (see Roger Ebert for discussion of plot holes - http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041111/REVIEWS/41006006/1023) involving electro-technical moments, great use of locations, wry humor (Woody Harrelson does go over the top in some mugging moments, but overall is quite engaging), and certainly deserves another opportunity to develop a script.

A killer cast of capable actors is expected to deliver and does. No doubt the script could have been terser, the lines more memorable or the plot more believable. We don't get all of the sheer class of the recent 'Ocean's Eleven', the raw energy of 'The Italian Job' or the gut laughs of 'Team America: World Police'. But Salma Hayek works her minimal exposure maximally (her physical charms alone are arresting), Brosnan is an interesting study in this a more laid back role than we are accustomed to seeing from him and Don Cheadle proves again he can do anything, including portray what for all intents is a gangster.

In an interview on the set of the film in January, director Brett Ratner notes about how he saw this as more a 'character-driven movie' and not just a 'big action heist'. He further notes that in taking on the task of balancing all the elements – comedy, action/adventure, drama - 'It's more of a challenge for me. Can I do a movie like this and get the tone right? If it's too broad, you don't care about the characters. If it's too serious, it's just a dramatic film and you then don't care.' (http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=3457)

'After The Sunset' is one of those films you just want to work and because you do redemption is sought in what probably are the small things. This jewel heist caper is a little above the cut of customary plex fare, and the nearly full theater of attentive viewers speaks to the dearth of just plain old decent films at the moment. We were not disappointed, and maybe agree the director CAN do a film like this.

Rating: 2- ¾ stars.

A movie with the great Pierce Brosnan can't go wrong really, everything he does, he makes look effortlessly cool.

The story about the diamond heist though, seems secondary to the beautiful locations, and Brett Ratner's obcession with filming Miss Hayek's chest from all conceivable angles (not necessarily a bad thing). Although Hayek is SO botoxed that she can barely move her facial muscles to express any kind of emotion.

Woody Harrelson and Brosnan make a really funny team, and if they make a sequel, I hope it concentrates on their two characters, because they have a great screen chemistry.