When I fist watched the preview for “Wild Target,” I instantly predicted two things. The first was that I would immediately fall in love with the star, Emily Blunt. The second was that the movie would become an all time favorite. The 2010 movie reinforces the concept that one thing the Brits do extremely well is comedy. Based on the French film “Cible Emouvante” and directed by Jonathan Lynn (“Nuns on the Run,” “My Cousin Vinny”) “Wild Target” hits the mark of funny better than a sharpshooter.
54 year old Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) is a professional killer who has inherited a long standing assassin business from his family and never misses a target.
Though responsible for dozens of hits, the film does a clever job of not taking the deaths too seriously. Right from the start you’ll laugh as the multi-lingual Victor whacks his victims – ending with the ominous phrase, “the matter has been dealt with.”
Victor is a typical over the top assassin; always impeccably dressed and in the company of a ridiculous horde of weapons, dining alone in his giant estate and sipping from a goblet of fine wine, he has learned over the years to completely detach himself from all forms of emotion. Bill Nighy shows the viewer what a great talent he really is. Nighy came to prominence with roles in “Love Actually” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Nighy perfectly embodies the seemingly soulless Victor Maynard in a completely plausible and unintentionally humorous way.
The plot of “Wild Target” is undeniably simple and predictable, but the humor and the cast make it flourish with ease. Victor’s mother begins to chastise him for not having a family – and specifically a grandson to inherit the family business. “I read that men that live too long with their mother tend toward the homosexual. You don’t tend, do you Victor?”
Completely the opposite of Nighy, and Nighy’s character Victor, is the beautiful Emily Blunt. Blunt has appeared in a plethora of movies, most recently with co-starring roles in “Looper” and “Edge of Tomorrow” In “Wild Target,” Blunt plays Rose, a feisty and carefree thief who becomes Victor’s latest target after a scheme to rip off a crime boss. Always aloof to danger, Rose captures Victor’s affections in a heartfelt way after a series of events that lands them together.
The over abundance of plot holes and roll your eyes corniness are okay, because the movie ultimately succeeds as a comedy in that it makes you laugh and doesn’t pretend to take itself seriously. Victor and Rose’s budding relationship starts out in the typical angst filled way one finds in almost every rom-com type story.
The antagonists comes in the form of Victor’s competitive rival Dixson (Martin Freeman) an equally smooth though sadistic assassin who pairs with a bumbling and hysterical assistant Fabian (Geoff Bell).
Joining with Victor and Rose is the skittish pacifist Tony (Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame) who gets caught up in the melee by happenstance and eventually becomes Victor’s apprentice. The viewer will be able to call what’s going to happen before it actually does, and yet still find yourself laughing and enjoying every minute.
At the end, my predictions came true. Emily Blunt proved to be a lovable starlet whose wily ways and beautiful perfection will make you want more. And though far from perfect in the scope of film, “Wild Target” is a simple comedy done right.
by – Matt Christopher
