| After the Sunset | |
|---|---|
 International poster | |
| Directed by | Brett Ratner |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Paul Zbyszewski |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Dante Spinotti |
| Edited by | Mark Helfrich |
| Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $57-60 million[1][2] |
| Box office | $62.7 million[1] |
After the Sunset is a 2004 Americanheistaction comedy film directed byBrett Ratner and starringPierce Brosnan as Max Burdett, a master thief caught in a pursuit withFBI agent Stan Lloyd, played byWoody Harrelson. It was shot in theBahamas. The film was met with negative reviews and flopped at the box office.
FBI Agent Stanley P. Lloyd has been assigned to transport the second of three famous diamonds, known as theNapoleon diamonds, cautious that master thief Max Burdett will potentially steal it. His convoy is interupted by a dreadlocked squeegee man washing their windscreen, whom Lloyd tips a dollar to leave. However, the man scans the car which allows Max to gain control of the vehicle, driving it to a warehouse. Max meets and embraces the squeegee man who then pulls off a mask revealing his girlfriend, Lola, in disguise. Lloyd shoots Max before passing out from being gassed by the thieves. Max survives and tells Lola to get the diamond, which she does, leaving in its place the one-dollar bill that she had received from Lloyd earlier. Max and Lola then fly toParadise Island inThe Bahamas.
Lloyd shows up 6 months later and accuses Burdett of planning to steal the third Napoleon diamond, which is on a cruise ship that will be docking for a week on the island. He denies this, and unwittingly turns the tables and befriends the frustrated detective Lloyd, showing him the pleasures that Paradise Island has to offer, even paying for the most expensive suite, the bridge suite, for as long as Lloyd is there.
Lloyd, out of his element, adapts quickly to the easy-goingCaribbean lifestyle. He partners up with Sophie, a local constable, to try to capture Max at last when he steals the diamond, which Max visits and later gives in to the temptation to steal. Henri Mooré, a powerful, popular tycoon thought of by some as a gangster, learns of Burdett's impressive history as a thief. So, he offers him additional island-life benefits and pleasures in return for stealing the diamond.
Burdett, still wanting the diamond for himself, pretends to work with Mooré. He gives him a fake plan as to how he would steal the diamond (which he had earlier related to Stan), having no trouble keeping ahead of his nemesis in the meantime. Lola kicks Max out after he breaks his promise to spend their first sunset on her new deck she had been working on and after she finds out he lied about writing his vows to her.
Max is forced to bunk with Lloyd, and they share their thoughts about each other's lives. The next morning, the authorities and Sophie discover them, revealing that Lloyd's on suspension from the FBI. They team up to win back Sophie and Lola, but Max still gives in and uses the dive trip as a distraction to steal the diamond, which works perfectly when Mooré's man tries at the same time but is caught after the fake plan doesn't work.
After the fallout, Lola leaves Max after Lloyd shoots Mooré dead when he comes for the diamond. Max realizes his error, writes his vows, and manages to win back Lola at the airport before she leaves, proposing to her with "the first diamond he ever bought".
The next day, Max is met by Lloyd while celebrating, who reveals he set him up and let Max do all the work while he later recovered the diamond as he'd seen him preparing the hiding place for it. Max concedes that his nemesis has won this time and is simply happy to live out his life with Lola, watching sunsets with her.
As Max and Lola are enjoying themselves on the beach, Max uses a remote control on Stan's car that has arrived at the airport, using it to mess with Stan, who quickly realizes what is going on and is unable to do anything about it. Lola asks Max if this is the "last time", which he agrees to.
The film also features several cameos, includingGary Payton,Karl Malone,Phil Jackson,Jeff Garlin,Dyan Cannon,Edward Norton, andShaquille O'Neal as themselves.
Paul Zbyszewski's original screenplay forAfter the Sunset was discovered by producersBeau Flynn andTripp Vinson, both known for producing movies such asTigerland (2000) andRequiem for a Dream (2000). The script was purchased byNew Line Cinema, and the producers hiredAustralian screenwriter Craig Rosenberg to create a re-write. Both the studio and the producers agreed that their first choice for the role of master thief Max Burdett was Pierce Brosnan.[3] Salma Hayek,Oscar-nominated for her role inFrida (2002), was the next actor to join the cast.[4]
Next to join the cast was directorBrett Ratner.[5] The film had originally been scheduled to be directed byJohn Stockwell but dropped out due to creative differences.[6] Talking about joining the movie, Ratner said: "I love caper films. There are so many great films in this genre, but what makesAfter the Sunset different is that it's a heist movie that has a combination of great relationships, heart, and comedy."
Chris Tucker andJackie Chan were both offered film cameos as police officers (a nod to theRush Hour series whichBrett Ratner also directed) but turned them down.[citation needed]
With the twoleads set,Woody Harrelson was cast in the role of Burdett's nemesis,FBI agent Stanley Lloyd.[7] Harrelson said during promotion: "When this movie came along, I loved it right away."Don Cheadle's casting marked a third collaboration with Ratner, followingThe Family Man (2000) andRush Hour 2 (2001). The role of Sophie, the Bahamian cop, was the next role to be cast. British actressNaomie Harris landed the role.[8]
With the majority of the script set on an island in theCaribbean, the filmmakers decided to shoot inThe Bahamas, based out of theAtlantis resort inNassau.
The film opened at number 3 in North America, earning $11,100,392 in its opening weekend, with its widest release in 2,819 theaters. It grossed $28,331,233 domestically and $33,016,564 in international markets, adding up to a worldwide gross of $61,347,797.[1]
After the Sunset received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes gave it an 18% approval rating, based on 136 reviews, with an average score of 4.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A slick but bland thriller."[9] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 38 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[10]
Ty Burr fromThe Boston Globe saw the film's potential as a "decent heist flick" during the opening robbery scene but felt it devolves into a plotless drag involving sightseeing and female-ogling in the Bahamas.[11] Peter Howell of theToronto Star gave note of Zbyszewski and Rosenberg's script feeling barebones within its given genre and moving "unsteadily between crime drama and romantic farce", and Ratner's direction matching it in terms of tonal whiplash and coming across like a "tourist infomercial," calling it "one of the most lackadaisical Hollywood projects of the year."[12] Scott Tobias ofThe A.V. Club criticized Ratner and Zbyszewski for making a "pale revision" ofMichael Mann'sHeat that sidesteps both the heist and interesting characters for more macho posturing and homophobic humor between its two male leads.[13]
Entertainment Weekly'sOwen Gleiberman gave the film a B− grade, calling it "a knowingly preposterous toy thriller--a sheer escape from consequence."[14]Roger Ebert pointed out the numerous plot machinations and "behavior-circling clichés" amongst the characters throughout the film but gave it credit for accomplishing the type of entertainment it aims to be, despite there being better movie choices for film-goers to check out, saying that "After the Sunset is skillfully made, but it's not necessary […] On the other hand, should you see it, the time will pass pleasantly."[15]James Berardinelli found the film to be "a mess, but [it's] a fun, breezy mess", criticizing the overall heist and weak characterization but gave praise to the quick pacing, three-way chemistry between Brosnan, Hayek and Harrelson, and Dante Spinotti's cinematography for capturing the "natural beauty" of its Caribbean setting, saying "despite not being especially well-written, it nevertheless offers a 100-minute, unpretentious diversion."[16]
