The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Jon Amiel

Writers (WGA):

Robert Farrar (novel)
Robert Farrar (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

He's on a mission so secret, even he doesn't know about it.

Plot:

Murray is mistaken for a spy and must stop a plot to assasinate international leaders at a banquet.

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Mistaken Identity | Theater | Bomb | Banquet

Cast

Bill Murray	...	Wallace 'Wally' Ritchie
Peter Gallagher	...	James 'Jimmy' Ritchie
Joanne Whalley	...	Lorelei 'Lori'
Alfred Molina	...	Boris 'The Butcher' Blavasky
Richard Wilson	...	Sir Roger Daggenhurst
Geraldine James	...	Dr. Ludmilla Kropotkin
John Standing	...	Gilbert Embleton
Anna Chancellor	...	Barbara Ritchie
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Sergei
Simon Chandler	...	Hawkins
Cliff Parisi	...	Uri
John Thomson	...	Dimitri
Janet Henfrey	...	Ms. Goldstein
Terry O'Neill	...	Spencer
Isabel Hernández	...	Consuela (as Isabel Hernandez)

Also Known As:

Agent Null Null Nix (Germany)
Agent Null Null Nix - Bill Murray in hirnloser Mission (Germany) (TV title)
Watch That Man (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language, innuendo, comic violence and sensuality.

Runtime:

94 min | Spain:90 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Spain:T | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:12 (video rating) | Netherlands:6 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In the hotel, after the interrogation, Boris walks out of the room to call Dr. Kropotkin, and says: "Uri, get the rubber sheets... and watch that man." (pointing to Bill Murray's character). "Watch That Man" is the title of the novel on which the movie is based.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The German map shown at the presentation is completely wrong. Frankfurt is found roughly in the Munich area and so forth.

Quotes:

Lorelei 'Lori': What are you? C.I.A., Mafia?
Wallace: Both.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

Soundtrack:

MARTA

Excellent parody!

Anybody who didn't enjoy this movie didn't get it... it was one of the most hilarious parodies I've ever seen. But, perhaps the circumstances of my initial viewing overly influenced my opinion. On a business trip to DC in 1998, I saw "The Game" with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn on the way out... great movie, but very heavy and deep. However on the way back, this movie was playing. Based on initial reviews I wasn't expecting much, but watching it was like someone purposely made a funny version of The Game, and I probably annoyed my fellow passengers as I was laughing so hard. I thought Murray was at his best, not unlike Chevy Chase in the Fletch movies (shame they didn't make more of those), as they were both in their comical element.

The coincidental (or perhaps not) pairing of these two films really added to my enjoyment of both. On a cold rainy weekend, I strongly recommend renting both and watching them in the same order I did… you won't be disappointed!