Wild Target

2010. Dir: Jonathan Lynn. Starring: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint, Rupert Everett and Eileen Atkins. ●●●○○



To say that I enjoyed Wild Target, whilst true, seemes to be missing the point. I laughed a few times, didn't feel my money was wasted and liked the feel of the film. Here we are a few days later though and it's already slipping from my mind, the plot and characters were paper thin and the energy was patchy and I can't help but feel that for it to really work I should have laughed more.

In the film Bill Nighy plays Victor Maynard, the creme de la creme of assassins, able to practise his French verbs whilst completing each of his assignments. After a art scam involving a hammy Rupert Everett he is called to deal with the scammer Emily Blunt. Naturally (this being a film about hit men) he can't do it, which leads to them going on the lam with slacker Rupert Grint whilst being chased by Everett, rival Martin Freeman and Nighy's psychotic mother Eileen Atkins.



Experienced comic performers Nighy and Blunt are on top form here, with the formers clownish double takes and the latters ability to look vulnerable and dangerous simultaneously (usually whilst tottering around in heels) both eleicited some giggles. In fact the film works best in some of the wordless scenes - such as Blunt going to the National Gallery and Nighy first tailing his planned victim.

It seems a shame therefore that we couldn't have more of these silent comic esque capers as once the dialogue came in it wasn't nearly as sucessful. The script was by Lucinda Coxon (of The Heart of Me fame - not a comedy) and up next is The Danish Girl, which I suspect is on the serious side so maybe this just isn't her forte. If I seem harsh there were some good jokes, but they were exactly that and often quite laboured.

Or two main protagonists are joined by Rupert Grint (on holiday from Hogwarts, obviously) who is as much of a macguffin in the plot as the forged Rembrandt. He does surprisingly well as the homeless dopehead with a surprising instinct for the assassins arts with his completely naiveity and boyishness shining through but there's really nowhere for the character to go. Part apprentice to Nighy and part obstacle in the ineitable affair between the others once those situations are introduced the film doesn't really know where to put him.

Jonathan Lynn is a steady hand behnd the camera, as shown by his handling of the silent elements above, but this is a long way from his best work - you remember cracking up to Clue? (Although it is significantly better than The Fighting Temptations or Sgt Bilko)

To conclude this is a reasonably diverting piece and quietly entertaining, with some funny moments, but nothing to write home about. Oh, and the last joke (involving the pink cat in the poster) really isn't funny.