Wild Target (2010)

Director - Jonathon Lynn
Notable cast - Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint, Rupert Everett, Martin Freeman, Eileen Atkins.
Genre - Comedy/Thriller
Budget - £5,000,000

Run time - 98 minutes

Wild target (2010) is a remake of the 1993 French film, Cible Emouvante. At the start of Wild target, the script and musical accompaniment really represents its roots. As the accordion style music is connoting and reminiscent of France and classic French cinema while Victor (Nighy) is learning French. The French theme fizzled out halfway through the film; it could have been used more effectively to add the comical sense and romantic side of the film.

It becomes apparent early on that each character is represented by a different track, and the nature of these tracks represents the character’s idiosyncrasies. Whether it being the according tune that accompanied Victor’s calm, almost melancholy demeanor on screen or in contrast Rose’s (Blunt) jazz like, upbeat happy go lucky track that fits her quirky and intuitive actions. The music is used to help identify the two characters as the typical sitcom ‘odd couple’ who have good chemistry on screen that helps to entice the audience into the narrative. The music does become an active part of the experience of watching the film as it feels overused and the tracks of the characters become agitating.

The theme of contrast is reinforced by the setting that Victor is represented in compared to the other two protagonists – Rose and Tony (Grint). Victor’s house is sterile and cold, which becomes an extension of his personality, he his shown to be an expert in debauchery while having weapons hanging up on the wall where family portraits should be. Tony is represented to have an unstable family and home background, and Rose who lives in hotels are both represented to be disturbed uprooted while Victor has his feet planted firmly on the ground.

Sound and visual effects are used minimally in the film, but when sound effects are used, it’s usually accompanied to weapons or cats. They add to the satirical comedy element that the film relies heavily upon. The scene consists of a comically exaggerated Italian job-esque chase scene, through the backstreets of London. The sound effects were effectively used to create one of the better scenes in the film.

Emily Blunt’s impeccable acting as the female protagonist, is a credit to the film as she encapsulates her character’s intelligence and skill to use sex as a weapon in the male orientated narrative and genre.

The film’s ironic comedy also relies heavily on Tony’s ignorance in the tense situations, and to and the slapstick innuendos that accompany the props which are thrown around excessively.

The editing is smooth; the majority of transitions are cuts. Camera angles are used to help reinforce the positive, strong women in the film as the only low angle shot used in the film is on the matriarch of the Maynard family – Louisa (Atkins). The camera is often shaky and can be off putting to the audience due to it being distracting, taking away from the experience of the film.

Wild target is a thrill ride that seems to be always leading up to a crescendo that isn't going to arrive, unlike its music. The contrast between characters leads to unexpected twists, and with an A list cast, acting them out, it makes for an entertaining and unique, unexpectedly deep film.