Brosnan's Hitman Toned Down in The Matador

For anyone who didn't see "The Matador" in theaters, I recommend checking it out on DVD. It provides Pierce Bronsan with a terrific part as a hitman that is far different from the suave James Bond and even earned him a Golden Glove Award nomination for best actor in a comedy. Brosnan gets to be fun and homicidal and crazy and even kinda sweet.

But one thing he doesn't get to be, according to an article I came across this morning on AfterElton.com, is bisexual, something the character was in the original script. It's hinted at in the movie but, as Meryl Streep would say in "Devil Wears Prada," that's all.

"I don't regret it, not at all - even with Brokeback's success," Brosnan is quoted as telling reporters about the deleted same-sex content. "The original problem was the director [Richard Shepard] threw everything at it, including the kitchen sink. It was too much. It came on full tilt. I felt the bisexual references took away from the ambiguity of his [Julian Noble's] sexuality. I just got it toned down."

Explains Shepard: "In the original script it went further, where we saw Julian (having sex with) men." It was this material, Shepard explains, along with some over-the-top, lewd humor that Brosnan wanted toned down, and cuts along these lines were made to the script before filming."

The DVD doesn't include any deleted same-sex love scenes or anything, at most there is an extra scene of Brosnan's character ogeling a cute waiter. Anyway, the film is still terrific and Greg Kinnear turns in another solid performance. Also good is Hope Davis as Kinnear's wife.