Drama, thrills, comedy and so much more: Directors Andrew Arguello and MJ Palo’s Target List has all the fixings of a great movie. Combining a fantastic cast with the witty writing of MJ Palo and John Reizer, whichever way you flip this film, it lands on its feet with feline agility.
Curing cancer is one of those rare things that everyone can agree would be a huge win for mankind. But with greed seeping into every crevice of our culture, some can only focus on financial losses rather than the immense humanitarian gains. When the key investor in a new device that promises a non-invasive cure is assassinated, it appears the rest of the team are pawns in someone else’s game. Unaware of the assassination, Dr Donna Sawyer goes ahead as planned in announcing that the team are taking “the wand” to clinical trial. The wand is a device that could save millions of lives. But not, as one cruel reporter points out, Donna’s own daughter, who passed before the advent of the device.
While Donna and the other members of the team celebrate, one person remains sceptical. Clyde knows that this invention will cost those who provide cancer treatments millions of dollars, and they won’t be happy about that. He thinks they should have waited to announce the invention. This is just typical, grumpy, anti-social Clyde, his colleagues decide. Little do they know, the take down has already begun. But even Clyde couldn’t predict just how unhappy Big Pharma would be, and the sacrifices they’d make to preserve revenue over life.
After the celebrations, when everyone has gone home, the lab is attacked in an attempt to destroy all research and prototypes. Luckily, Clyde has stayed late and is able to rescue some work, including two of the wands. In a complete daze, he rushes to Donna’s house, again finding himself in the right place at the right time. The assassin has set Donna in his sights as the next victim. As the pair manage to escape unscathed, they find themselves on the run together. Being pursued by an assassin, and also framed for murder, they are thrust into the middle of an action movie they were not prepared for.
What follows is a delightful combination of tense drama and ice breaking comedy. The humorous elements of the film compliment the more melodramatic moments brilliantly. The writers construct perilous situations, and then infuse them with the hapless antics of Clyde and Donna, who really are just two normal people. It feels like a resistance to the trope of the nerdy scientist suddenly becoming Bruce Willis in order to save the damsel in distress. Instead, Clyde is his wonderful, quirky self, and Donna is her uncertain-but-surprisingly-badass self too. The characters have strengths and weaknesses in a very human sense. Despite the fact Clyde’s appearance does remind me of Clark Kent, Clyde’s weakness is not kryptonite but horses. And feet. Balancing this comedy, Donna’s struggles stem from the loss of her daughter. But regardless of their individual weaknesses, the pair come together to clear their names and protect the research so it can benefit mankind.
The writing of the film is definitely what underpins its greatness. The characters Clyde and Donna are extremely well written and the situations they are put in are masterfully created. The truly wonderful performances of Justin Ray and Rachel Alig really bring this writing to life. As individual characters, Justin Ray is both a little cocky and quite shy in a way that you can’t help but find endearing. Alig is assured and decisive with her own moments of comedic greatness. Together, Alig and Ray create the perfect on screen relationship. Something I really appreciated was the fact the film didn’t end down the traditional route of forcing a relationship between Donna and Clyde. It was really rewarding watching their relationship develop in a platonic sense. The film plays just enough into the “will they won’t they” routine to make it fun rather than laboured and predictable.
A top class film. Definitely on my “target list” of must watches. See the trailer below!