Coup d'éclat

"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 :)

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.

Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek are a pair of diamond thieves fighting an endless cat and mouse game with an FBI agent (Woody Harrelson) until they decide to retire and move down to the Bahamas. When a cruise ship arrives carrying a priceless diamond, the chase begins anew.

After the Sunset is a pretty ordinary movie with some entertaining moments and a lot of gorgeous scenery. It won't challenge the viewer at all but it will offer a pretty enjoyable ride. The premise is fairly simple and it is nothing really new. Brett Ratner keeps things easy and safe as he moves the film at a nice pace. The opening scene is pretty funny and nicely done. The middle is also pretty good yet a little dull while the ending is just plain disappointing. I was expecting a nice payoff but the ending was so simple. This didn't ruin the movie but it doesn't warrant a viewing either.

The acting is pretty good and there are a few characters that keep the film interesting. Pierce Brosnan stars as Max and he gives a good performance. He sometimes looked a little tired but he usually seemed to be having fun. Woody Harrelson is great as the FBI agent and he looks to be having a great time. Salma Hayek offers great eye candy and a decent performance. She doesn't really do anything special except look very beautiful. Don Cheadle gives an okay performance though he doesn't get a lot of screen time.

There are a few reasons why After the Sunset would make for a good rental. First, the scenery looks great and eye candy never hurts. Second, the chemistry between Brosnan and Harrelson is surprisingly good and it is fun to watch them on screen. Third, those looking for some escapist fun should find it with this film. Last but not least, Salma Hayek looks amazing. I would have preferred a little more substance but the movie proved to be entertaining. In the end, After the Sunset isn't worth checking out in theaters but it could make for a decent rental. Rating 6/10

After the Sunset sees Pierce Brosnan play an ex-jewel thief in a simple "will the old pro come out of retirement for one last job" movie that is far more entertaining than its unoriginal premise sounds.

Pierce Brosnan takes to his dressed-down James Bond role very well, and the jokes and his style make him a very likable character. Woody Harrelson, the rival FBI agent, puts in a similarly enjoyable performance, and his inept bumblings around the island create some unexpected comic situations between the cop and the thief. It's the relationship between these two (and the compromising situations they find themselves in) that makes the film, as they antagonize each other and almost become buddies toward the end. Their encounters add something fresh and unexpected to the movie's simple formula and make it really entertaining.

Oh, and special mentions have to go out for Don Cheadle and Salma Hayek. Don's character is very funny, and he plays both sides of it well, and as for Salma...let's just say the directors are aware of what their male audience wants to see.

All in all, it's funny, quick, easy to follow, and contains enough little quirks to make After the Sunset an enjoyable and entertaining experience.

This is a light, happy-go-lucky movie set mostly on Nassau in the Bahamas. Meet Max and Lola, two diamond thieves who have retired to this idyllic location to spend their loot. The problem is Stan, a shambolic, rather wild-eyed FBI agent who has been outwitted by them for years. Not content with letting them enjoy their retirement, he shows up on their (beachfront) doorstep and proceeds to lure them into another big heist. Lola's content with watching sunsets, but Max still has the bug. Will he take the bait? Complications arise because of the involvement of two locals: beautiful cop Sophie and bad guy Henri Mooré.

This movie was enjoyable enough as summer television-like movie, but it doesn't go much deeper than that. There's not a lot of realism and art here. It was like a television movie.

I don't know what makes television movies different from regular movies. Is it the writing? The plot development? The acting? They have a certain cliché nature, don't they? At times this movie definitely had the cheesiness and artificiality of television shows like the Love Boat and To Catch a Thief. That's not necessarily a bad thing. A lot of people love that kind of thing. It's not too demanding. And it's fun. People were laughing.

I suppose part of the problem for me was, well, Pierce Brosnan and Woody Harrelson. I just couldn't see these two with Salma Hayek and Naomie Harris, respectively. Isn't the age difference a little too much? Is it wrong for me to point out that -- unlike the women they were with -- these two were (by 2004) no longer hot enough to generate heat in their love scenes?

I have seen these two actors deliver outstanding performances. They are strong enough to pull off a film like this in their sleep. However, I am just not interested in them enough to spend two hours watching their buddy antics (drinking, fishing, even in bed). They are not lovable fun characters to me, although I think that's the effect the director was trying to achieve. These scenes were too forced. I saw no buddy chemistry.

There was a good deal of wise-cracking (eg "I knew that when I married you. I knew that when I divorced you!") and slapstick (eg Stan gets hit in the head by a trombone.) The scuba scenes and the cruise ship scenes at the end were not believable, not that I think this movie's intended audience would care about that. It's all meant to be part of the fun.

The person I was with walked out of the film halfway through. I thought it was OK. I mean, I didn't hate it.