O Matador

I found this movie very slow however quite intriguing I guess I'm a sucker for westerns not quite your all time greats but interesting none the less

Intense, deep, brutal, yet sensitive, this amazing Western tells the story of "Cabeleira" a killer, born and raised in in a lawless countryside in the northeast of Brazil. Besides Cabeleira's fight for survival, we also get to know the story of other interesting characters, like Seven Ears, Sobral and the Frenchman. The impressive cinematography, intriguing storytelling, and a great performance from Diogo Morgado, as Cabeleira, as well as the performances from Brazilians and European actors, make this Western definitely worth watching! Highly Recommend!

While it could be called predominantly 'Leone-like', this brutal western has influences from all regions but still firmly sets a Brazilian tone for a new sub-genre. I say 'new' based on my not seeing an S.A. example before this. There are a few editing/story problems that may indicate a director's cut in the future, but they don't take away from the flow of the story. If you like exploring modern westerns, it's worth a look.

The only reason to watch this movie until the end is Diogo Morgado, who's the anti-hero cave-man look alike. The western style is nice, and the amount of violence looks good for the kind of mood it's supposed to be. But the scenes are totally off, with no connection between them. The viewer can't bond with any character, and doesn't feel bad about the death of anyone. There's no suspense. The scenes happen quickly and are not smooth at all. It's a bad storytelling, told in the form of a narrator who starts to tell a story to two blokes out of nowhere, who are supposedly outlaws who threaten him if he doesn't tell some story.

Conclusion: You won't exactly feel like you've lost an hour and a half watching this, but it's no good experience either. You may like it if you really love old westerns.