Salma Gives Pierce a Woody Problem
"After the Sunset" feels like someone watched Pierce Brosnan in "The Thomas Crown Affair" and enjoyed watching him play a sexy, charismatic thief and decided that he would be perfect for playing a similar role but in a sexy comedy. And if that was the case they were right because "After the Sunset" is a fun comedy caper which sees Brosnan playing another master thief aided by a smokingly hot partner in Salma Hayek. It is sexy, smart, with some nice action and whilst not the most deceptive of storylines is nicely put together as it also incorporates elements of being a buddy movie at the same time.
Having foiled FBI Agent Stan Lloyd (Woody Harrelson - Anger Management) once again by stealing a diamond right from under his nose, master thief Max Burdett (Pierce Brosnan - Dia Another Day) and his sexy partner Lola Cirillo (Salma Hayek - Wild Wild West) retire for a quiet life on a tropical island. Except Max finds retirement dull and when Lloyd shows up and makes it clear he thinks that Max is planning to steal a diamond off a soon to be docked cruise liner temptation presents itself. The trouble is that Lola has had enough; she wants to settle down with Max and certainly doesn't want him returning to his old ways.
After a fun intro which sees Max and Lola not only steal a diamond right from under Agent Lloyd's nose but also establish that they are red hot lovers we get to the main storyline which is retirement and Max struggling with a life of nothing. To be honest the storyline to "After the Sunset" feels generic, various cliches combined nicely to create an amusing story which at various points sees Lola upset with Max, Max becoming unlikely buddies with Lloyd as well as various double crosses. None of which is new, every single element has been done before and often more memorably but they are all combined nicely.
It's nice because it is fun, the initial robbery is fun as Max out smarts Lloyd and when Max and Lola get it on it is also fun. The fun continues with Max disliking juice cocktails with umbrellas in them to Lola desperately trying to keep busy in order to distract herself from returning to crime. Everything about "After the Sunset" is fun even when we meet local cop Sophie as she breaks some ones balls, quite literally. But again this isn't memorable fun; just fun which will make you smile in the moment.
Smile is what you will do with the performances because Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek work well together as a couple, the making out is both hot, sexy and comical and when they both turn on the crime skills it is still fun. Fun is the word to use for Woody Harrelson as FBI agent Stan Lloyd, a bit of a generic klutz but one which amuses. The trio work well together with Naomie Harris adding a sexy fourth as Sophie the island cop.
What this all boils down to is that "After the Sunset" is a fun crime caper which mixes smart action with sexy comedy nicely. It is generic and not the least bit memorable but for 97 minutes it will distract you with some fun, sexy, crime comedy.
