Wild Target

This film is a remake of a French film 'Cible emouvante'. As sometimes happens in these cases, a little is lost in translation. It's the story of Rose (Emily Blunt) who has swindled a dashing 'business man' Rupert Everett with a fake painting. Rupert then sets the best of the best solitary assassin Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) to dispose of Rose. Through a series of cock ups, Victor fails to follow the job through, and so the mayhem begins. Victor ends up becoming mesmerised by Rose, and a hapless Rupert Grint (Tony) gets pulled along for the ride. Chastised by his ruthless overbearing Mother (brilliant Eileen Atkins), hounded by the second best assassin in Britain (a fabulously fake tanned Martin Freeman) the three become embroiled in an adventure that makes them all realise the true meaning of life. The film has some really charming and funny moments. Emily Blunt is a lovely actress, but I don't quite believe her as the wild Rose. Bill Nighy is also an English stalwart, but he only ever really plays, well, Bill Nighy. Uptight and unemotional, speaking through closed lips and stiff limbed. Rupert Grint is great as the permanently stoned, sport loving spy apprentice Tony. Rupert Everett tends to steal the show a little as the handsome completely amoral businessman Ferguson. There are some quite dark moments which don't really tally well with the light 'four weddings' feel of the film. The scenes are almost comic book England, very beautiful but so cliched, even down to the stolen Mini Cooper. It's worth a look, but the ending is quite disconcerting. Children that kill animals are just not even vaguely amusing, people maybe, but not animals.
Wild Target: Just misses the mark. 6/10.