Wild Target – United Kingdom/France – 2010 – Comedy, Crime
Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
Written by: Lucinda Coxon
Main Players: Bill Nighy; Emily Blunt; Martin Freeman; Rupert Grint; Rupert Everett; Eileen Atkins; Rory Kinnear
A remake of a French film I have not seen, Wild Target is funny, clever and silly while focusing on the world of hit men. Victor Maynard (Nighy) practices his French conjugations while dealing with a ‘matter,’ and then collects some cash for a job well done. Half now, half later, such is the life of a 54-year-old professional killer.
He visits his mother Louisa (Atkins) in her retirement home for a lambasting of still being so single. For his upcoming birthday however she has put together a beautiful scrap book of his noteworthy newspaper headlines, and legacy. Fifty-five is a big age, and coming up he will really need to buckle down.
Free spirit Rose (Blunt) floats through life, biking chaotically through London how she sees fit and directly into a museum and to the restoration department to find expert worker Gerry Bailey (Kinnear). She looks at a fake painting he has done, and it is a wonderful copy. Think of the money…
As these characters collide, plots multiply and new people enter the mix to create a truly wild time. There is danger, double crossing, murder, mayhem and the top couple of killers in the UK all vying for love, life and money.
Wild Target is a really fun time. There are good jokes and a clever wit infused into the dialogue, and the characters are quite a strange mix of people that somehow work well together. I like the story and the turns it takes, especially as it makes it tough to guess what will happen.
If you want an unpredictable crime comedy, Wild Target fits the bill. It has plenty of heart also as the main trio groove and make each other’s lives better. Emily Blunt is always fantastic and the whole cast crafts a pleasant experience. I am a bit surprised this one didn’t land better with critics and fans because I always have a good time with it. Maybe this version strays too far from the original, but I myself do not know.
“What do you weigh?”
See This If You Liked:
Wild Target (Cible émouvante); Grosse Point Blank; The Whole Nine Yards; A Fish Called Wanda; Mr. & Mrs. Smith; In Bruges; The Matador (2005); The Trouble with Harry; The Hitman’s Bodyguard; Over Your Dead Body; The Trip (I Onde Dager); A Simple Favor; Deep Cover (2025)
Score:
7.5