Coup d'éclat

I actually just saw this movie last night, and I have to say it was one of the better films of 2004. The premise is perfect, the setting is gorgeous, the talent is amazing, and the twists are great. I don't see why this got such bad press. It's a pretty cool heist flick, almost reminiscent of Thomas Crown Affair (McQueen or Brosnan, either one was great). If you haven't seen it yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. There is a lot of great humour in this film too, something that really surprised me. Also, can anyone tell me if this was filmed on the Island of Nasssau? I did see a Disney cruise liner in the background of the first Harbor shot, and and I know that is part of their usual route. Don Cheadle plays an excellent villain, and the performances by Hayek, Harrelson, and Brosnan really make for an entertaining film. The premise is quite good, and I'll reiterate, it is not only a good heist film, but one of the FUNNIEST movies of the year.

This movie was a pleasant shock, because it wasn't typical high octane adrenaline-pumping Pierce Brosnan action flick of recent memory! The action was more subdued and less far-fetched as a typical Brosnan movie. I laughed my butt off in parts, and the cast pulled off their roles in a badass-yet-comical way!

Salma Hayek adds some necessary female steam in this otherwise masculine tale! As always Pierce Brosnan delivers a wonderful performance helping to make this movie a real delight!

I can't tell you much more about the movie without spoiling scenes, so, see this movie; it's worth the whatever price you pay.

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 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.

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.