Despite boasting a cast of five instantly recognisable and bona fide stars, '
Wild Target' came and left theatres this summer with a mere whimper thanks largely to poor marketing and distribution. This is a huge shame; if the film had been handled better I have no doubt that this wonderfully witty and surreal, black, crime comedy caper would have received the kind of praise and recognition that it deserves.
Bill Nighy plays Victor Maynard, a solitary, solipsistic hitman, revered within the business as being the best. This is a source of great pride for his mother, who herself was a hitwoman, as was Maynards deceased father. But she is becoming increasingly impatient with his failure to provide an heir to carry on their family name and business: living to kill. Maynards regimented lifestyle is turned upside down when gangster and art aficionado Ferguson (
Rupert Everett) hires him to kill the conniving and infinitely charismatic, kleptomaniac Rose (
Emily Blunt) who just sold him a fraudulent Rembrandt and made off with a million pounds of his money. Rose turns out to be Maynards hardest job ever, continually eluding him without even being aware of it.
When Ferguson grows tired of waiting, he dispatches his own men; a collision occurs between Maynard, Rose and Fergusons lackeys which seems to have both Maynard and Rose ready for lights out, until unassuming mechanic Tony (
Rupert Grint) comes to the rescue. After Maynard dispatches with the lackeys Rose hires him as protection and he, Rose and Tony are forced to flee the city, hotly pursued by Fergusons latest hired hand Hector Dixon (
Martin Freeman) widely regarded as the second best hitman around. On their journey to Maynards country home, feisty, frivolous Rose clashes continually with the stringent Maynard about everything under the sun, while Tony becomes the son and protégé Maynard never had. Maynards paternal and romantic sides are revealed for the first time in his life and the three form an unlikely but charming family unit.
The film concludes with a hugely satisfying, if nor surprising denouement; and there is something to be said for being satisfied. Far too many movies strive to be different and shock and surprise, but by doing so fail to recognise or respect the fundamentals of filmmaking: story, character development, plot, pacing and genre. 'Wild Target' ticks all these boxes and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable black comedy, which never gets as dark as a Coen brothers movie, though certainly doesnt fall too far away from their oeuvre. Its a full of charm, wit, comedy and romance, and includes a great chase through the streets of London in a mini, which owes more than just a slight debt to 'The Italian Job', and is deeply reminiscent of 'The Bourne Identity', but still worthy of praise and the only one that I can recall which traverses the streets of modern London. The performances are all faultless, with the cast delivering surreal, slightly removed from this world portrayals of characters very much rooted in reality, not dissimilar to the style of Will Ferrell/Adam McKay movies. The reason they work so well is because they form a complimentary balance with the feel and construction of the piece, which is to the great credit of director
Jonathan Lynn. The man who wrote every episode of the acclaimed series 'Yes, Minister', and was responsible for such films as 'Clue', 'My Cousin Vinny' and 'The Whole Nine Yards', is in his element with this darkly comedic material that he masterfully integrates into a taught plot and shows great restraint and subtlety directing action sequences.
Nighy puts in a perfect performance, bringing his trademark sophistication and panache to a part that allows him to be cool, cerebral, comedic, vulnerable and uncomfortable, awkward and above all else warm. Budding screenwriters will be familiar with the term save the cat moment, patented by the late, great screenwriting guru Blake Snyder. The idea states that every protagonist will have a moment near the beginning of their movie where they do something that humanises them to the audience. Think of the moment in 'Silence of the Lambs' when Dr. Lecter offers Clarice the towel when she has come in from the rain. By doing so he allows us to know there is good in him, just like another anti-hero might do the same by climbing a tree to save a cat. I bring this up because 'Wild Target' has a moment when Maynard has a parrot who can repeat his name staring down the barrel of his gun, but instead of pulling the trigger he spares the parrot and gives it to his mother as a present. A brilliant example of a save the cat moment and the moment we realise our protagonist has the capacity to be more than just a cold-blooded killer. Rupert Grint and Martin Freeman show that they are far more than 'Harry Potters' bitch-boy Ron Weasley and Tim from 'The Office', both putting in strong performances distinct from their most lauded roles. Rupert Everett displays the razor sharp wit and comedic timing that made him an audience favourite throughout the late 90s. Sadly his characters untimely demise from the movie and lack of a satisfying denouement is the one major chink in the armour of what is otherwise an immaculate movie. As good as Nighy and co are, the real star of the show is Emily Blunt; how many movies starring her have had this very statement written about them? Since gaining acclaim for her sexually charged role in 2004s 'My Summer of Love', Blunt has been short-listed for an Oscar for her compelling performance in 'The Young Victoria' and achieved the miraculous feat of stealing the show from Mesdames Streep and Hathaway in 'The Devil Wears Prada'. She has distinguished herself as an actress of versatility, consistently impressing across all genres, faultlessly shifting between a range of accents and staking a definite claim for being the stand out performer of the up and coming actresses. And her performance here further bolsters this claim. From the moment she enters the film, riding around Trafalgar Square on her bicycle, backed by Regina Spektors Hotel Song, she effortless injects mischief, charm, elegance and an underlying vulnerability she masks with smoldering sexuality that she is aptly able to blend with comedy. It is a performance that, dare I say it, bears resemblance to young Katharine Hepburn.
The one thing that did tarnish my appreciation of the movie for a moment, and I hasten to add just a moment, was the discovery that this was a remake of the French film '
Cibil émouvante', written and directed by
Pierre Salvadori in 1993. This wasnt a huge surprise, for a number of reasons. Call me cynical, but the scarcity of a good, original British movie always brings out the detective in me; furthermore from early on I got a strong French vibe from the film, and not just because the protagonist happens to be learning French. The sensibilities of the piece and the way it is shot are reminiscent of so many contemporary French films. Plus I found Emily Blunts character indicative of Audrey Tatous character in 'Priceless'. Low and behold the writer of Priceless was none other than Pierre Salvadori. Without getting into an in-depth discussion about remaking movies, I dont believe one should discredit the merits of a remake based purely on the fact it is a derivative piece. While I have no doubt the original is a fine movie, which I am now intrigued to see, 'Wild Target' is a stand out achievement of acting, direction, writing and puts to shame the vast majority of recent British cinema. Not since 'In Bruges' have I been so satisfied with a black comedy or as compelled to re-view it so I can quote the many one-liners that deserve their place in contemporary pop culture.
'Wild Target' is available on Blu-ray and DVD from today.