'Taffin' wastes no time. The film quickly kicks into gear introducing the roguish and playful title character as he busts heads and shows he's a very "off the books" type of debt collector. He just as quickly becomes involved with Charlotte, the film's compulsory love interest, and with the main plot.
The plot is a little conventional and predictable, as are its characters, and still at the core this is a fair bit of fun. At the same time, there are important, classic themes at hand about corruption, greed, corporate malfeasance, environmentalism - and how ordinary people can get involved to make a difference, in ways legal or otherwise.
Even as greater violence begins to erupt, the feature never becomes so self-indulgent as to lose its cheeky edge. Pithy, sometimes ham-handed one-liners and cartoonish, mostly delightful characters define the feature. The music of Hans Zimmer and Stanley Myers alternately plays with jaunty Irish chords and instrumentation, and more dramatic notes evoking conspiracy and mystery. The narrative is very direct and straightforward, giving the cast just enough room for some minor exploration of their characters.
That goes most of all for Pierce Brosnan as Mark Taffin, a portrayal echoing the experienced if amateurish wit of Brosnan as Remington Steele crossed with the forcefulness and charm of Brosnan's James Bond - though with all qualities considerably less refined. Alison Doody is unfortunately not given much to do as supporting character Charlotte, but it's still a joy to see her here, injecting more personality into Taffin's girlfriend than the writing allows her to explore.
There's really not much to be said, for better or for worse. The film is sufficiently well made to cover for the fact that the plot is thin and familiar, and it's entertaining if not particularly fulfilling. 'Taffin' is reasonably worthwhile, particularly recommended if you're looking for a feature that doesn't require active attention or consideration.
The plot is a little conventional and predictable, as are its characters, and still at the core this is a fair bit of fun. At the same time, there are important, classic themes at hand about corruption, greed, corporate malfeasance, environmentalism - and how ordinary people can get involved to make a difference, in ways legal or otherwise.
Even as greater violence begins to erupt, the feature never becomes so self-indulgent as to lose its cheeky edge. Pithy, sometimes ham-handed one-liners and cartoonish, mostly delightful characters define the feature. The music of Hans Zimmer and Stanley Myers alternately plays with jaunty Irish chords and instrumentation, and more dramatic notes evoking conspiracy and mystery. The narrative is very direct and straightforward, giving the cast just enough room for some minor exploration of their characters.
That goes most of all for Pierce Brosnan as Mark Taffin, a portrayal echoing the experienced if amateurish wit of Brosnan as Remington Steele crossed with the forcefulness and charm of Brosnan's James Bond - though with all qualities considerably less refined. Alison Doody is unfortunately not given much to do as supporting character Charlotte, but it's still a joy to see her here, injecting more personality into Taffin's girlfriend than the writing allows her to explore.
There's really not much to be said, for better or for worse. The film is sufficiently well made to cover for the fact that the plot is thin and familiar, and it's entertaining if not particularly fulfilling. 'Taffin' is reasonably worthwhile, particularly recommended if you're looking for a feature that doesn't require active attention or consideration.