The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)

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 | Bomb | Banquet | Mistaken Identity | Theater

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

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 (1956)

Soundtrack:

COMING HOME BABY

Joanne Whalley-Kilmer's really cool spoof.

In the film "Scandal," Joanne Whalley-Kilmer played the part of a high priced call girl who has affairs with British politicians, movers, and shakers, and most famously with the British Minister of War. It was based on a true story and Joanne W-K's performance became the highlight of her career. In "The Man Who Knew Too Little," Joanne W-K once again plays this character but for laughs. Kind of neat considering that the two films probably don't share the same audience (which is apparent since so far I am the only reviewer to pick up on this connection, despite the obvious spoof.) When she appeared on screen and I saw she was spoofing her "Scandal" role it was like actually getting one of Dennis Miller's "intellectual" jokes. If you have only seen one of the films you should see the other one too. If you have not seen either start with "Scandal," if not for chronological sake then at least to get the inside joke in the later (plus "Scandal" is a really good film and very timely considering the Clinton-Monica thing). Bill fans (Murray that is) don't worry, he is here in fine form. For movie buffs this film is but a series of spoofs of well-known, and not so well-known mostly film-noir flicks (think watered down Mel Brooks, circa Young Frankenstein, not so broad, not so obvious, but cool when you "get it.") If you're under the age of 35 you probably won't get them (my niece, part of the "money demographic" was shocked to find out that there was actually a movie called "The Man Who Knew Too Much," which explains exactly why the film didn't do better box office.) Most of all, the interest is Joanne Whalley-Kilmer who has brought back to comedic film the wonderful French Maid costume. Once a staple of Vauldeville, Bob Hope comedies, and Pink Panther films, the French Maid's costume should be mandatory for all women endowed with great legs. Oooh La La! Even if you have not seen Hitchcock or British cinema, you never heard of film-noir (let alone pronounce it), and your knowledge of Cold War and foreign spy history is non-existent, there is Joanne W-K's killer bod and cool spoof. And oh yes, Bill Murray's good too.