THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE

US, 1997, 89 minutes, Colour.
Bill Murray, Peter Gallagher, Joanne Whalley, Alfred Molina, Richard Wilson, Geraldine James, Hannah Chancellor.
Directed by Jon Amiel.

The premiss is a good joke. What if an annoying visitor is sent to the Theatre of Life for a night - but he arrives a little early at the appointed phone box for the performance and, instead, takes a call for a spy and interprets that as
the play? Bill Murray, as the visitor in London, spends the whole film thinking that the espionage and murder that he is caught up in is only a play while all the rest are deadly serious? With a cast including Alfred Molina, Joanne Whalley and One Foot in the Grave's Richard Wilson, it all adds up to
a slight but entertaining comedy of errors.

1. An enjoyable parody of spy comedies? Low key, spoof? Bill Murray and his acerbic comic style - transformed into a genial bumbler?

2. The title, the parody of Hitchcock's films? London as the setting for espionage, the streets, the buildings, the hotels, the glamour and the upper class? Everything taking place during one night? The musical score?

3. The credibility of the basic premise: the Theatre of Life group, the re-enactments, people paying to become part of the theatre, the mistimed phone call, the plot to sabotage the peace accord between the UK and Russia, the old diplomats wanting the Cold War to continue and to keep in business? Spies, sex scandals in Britain?

4. Wallace and his arrival, his talk to the passport control and the long elaboration of his hopes? Turning up at his brother's house, his American style, explaining that he was in the movie business? The reality of being in the blockbuster Des Moines, Iowa? His becoming part of the Theatre of Life, his taking the phone call, the wrong phone call, being given the name Spencer?

5. His adventures in the Theatre of Life, going to the house, encountering Lori, misinterpreting everything, the letters, blackmailing the minister? The cigarette case and the communication with Sir Roger and his henchman? Their mixing things up, thinking he was a master spy? The dangers, the shootings, the escapes? His putting on the different manners of the character? The attempt at mugging in the street, his losing his money? The going to the house, the Butcher being after him, the mix-ups, the escapes? His ringing his brother? On the ledge, the attempts to kill him, bringing in the torturer? The Butcher and his growing admiration? Sir Roger and Sergei thinking he was after three million pounds? Bringing the money? The build-up to the climax, going to the hotel, his being in the Russian dance, overcoming his stage fright, juggling the time-bomb? His being able to deflect it? His brother coming up from the torture room? The never knowing that he was in the Theatre of Life? With the money, thinking it fake, wanting the doll? Lori and her falling love with him? The finale on the islands, the CIA recruiting him and his unwittingly passing the test?

6. Lori, the Lorelei type? Joanne Whalley having portrayed Christine Keeler in the film Scandal? Echoes of the Profumo case? The mix-ups, her taking everything seriously, falling in love with him? The dangers, her almost being strangled, fleeing, the car chase? Wallace and his enjoying the driving, discussing with the police, eating with them, the communication with Sir Roger? The encounter with the Butcher, Lori going to the hotel, getting in with the minister, the climax and her saving the day with the bomb? A future with Wallace?

7. Jimmy, his English wife, the German visitors? The dinner, not wanting to be interrupted, Wallace's phone calls and their sounding compromising? His going out to get the port, the police interpreting that he was a mastermind and escaping? His being taken by the Russians, the torturer? His changing his life? His wife, the visitors and the raid?

8. Sir Roger, Roger Wilson's comic style? His henchman? Sir Gay? The plot to prevent the peace accord, their longings for the Cold War era, better equipment, money grants, espionage? The comedy of the mix-up, their assuming that Wallace was a master spy, getting the money, at the banquet, wanting to escape? Their getting away with some of the money - and the bomb and the explosion in the sky?

9. The minister, liaisons, British sex scandals and blackmail?

10. The Butcher, his reputation, his actually being a butcher, his henchman, pursuing Wallace, the attempts to kill him, interrogating him, being overcome by Wallace? The growing admiration, the Butcher retiring and yielding the title to Wallace?

11. The Theatre of Life, the opening, the scenarios, the pretence? The Theatre of Life intruding into the espionage, the police and the interrogations, the misinterpretations?

12. Light comedy, audiences familiar with espionage stories, enjoying the send-up?