THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE (72) (65 - second viewing)

Directed by: Jon Amiel

Starring: Bill Murray, Alfred Molina, Joanne Whalley, Peter Gallagher

The Pitch: A naive American tourist in London gets mistaken for a secret agent, and embroiled in conspiracies and assassination plots - all the while believing he's taking part in "the Theatre of Life", an interactive theatrical game.

Theo Sez: Oops, there goes my street-cred. A goofily old-fashioned, blissfully funny comedy that only has one joke (borrowed from MY FAVOURITE SPY) yet is the clearest - indeed, the only - indication in almost a decade that Amiel might someday match his debut, the wonderful QUEEN OF HEARTS. The credits recall THE PINK PANTHER, the characters parody James Bond, but the whole thing plays a bit like a West End farce, heavily dependent on double meanings as our hero inadvertently phrases things in such a way as to keep everyone believing he's a lethal killing machine. It feels more English than American, which perhaps is why Murray behaves rather like the happy tourist he portrays, nowhere near as edgy or sarcastic as he usually is but apparently having a wonderful time - and also perhaps why we get a couple of clumsy jokes about "the English vice", a reminder that this is a minor, cobbled-together kind of movie where it's best to arrive with low expectations, and where not everything works. Still, a surprising amount does - not just the brisk story and well-orchestrated performances but the little throwaways too, Murray saying "Thank you, bloke" to the various Limeys or discussing a secret agent's lot with the air of a Midwestern bank-clerk setting out his pension-plan : "They pay all your expenses. You're licensed to kill...But there's a downside." "What's that?" An unhappy little sigh : "Torture." I don't know, maybe you had to have been there. [...which might also explain the slight disappointment of second viewing, this time on video and with heightened expectations. I see I've mistaken pace and good-natured silliness for comic excellence - or maybe I was just in a particularly forgiving mood that day. Whatever, it's still recommended (especially for Murray fans) but not really very inspired. Sorry if I misled anybody...]