THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE (PG)
Directed by Jon Amiel Running Time: 94 minutes Originally Released: November 14, 1997
Reviewed by E. Benjamin Kelsey
* * (out of four)
We seem to be at a point in time where the big name comedy actors are changing. While Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Eddie Murphy used to run the gamut, they're now getting old and we're bringing in a new batch with the likes of (sic) Jim Carrey, John Leguizamo, and Chris Tucker. It's a very sad time. Luckily those comedians who ran the 80's are still attempting to go strong, and while their later efforts are considerably poorer than we'd like, it's their familiarity that keeps us smiling and endeared to their withering performances. Murray, who is one of the best, is still charming, it's just that his roles don't deserve him. Such is the case with THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE.
Murray stars as Wallace Ritchie, a Blockbuster Video employee in Des Moines, Iowa who travels on his birthday to visit his brother James (Peter Gallagher) in London. The two reunite with affection, but James regrets informing his brother that an extremely important dinner with some German businessmen will prevent him from celebrating with his brother. Brainstorming ideas, James finally comes to a brilliant conclusion that will serve both as his brother's birthday gift, and as a deterrent to Wallace's wild antics ruining the important dinner. Wallace has always wanted to be an actor, and the latest sensation around town is an interactive play where you become the lead character in a crime caper put on by professional actors. Dubbed the "Theater of Life", Wallace jumps at the chance, but when he intercepts the wrong phone call, he is put on the trail of a completely real espionage ploy involving England and Russia.
Heading from place to place, Wallace continuously runs into bad guys and assassins whom he suspects to be actors, and when he never takes them seriously, they assume him to be a highly skilled American secret agent. While the entire plot is very unclear, we know that it has something to do with blackmail and a stack of letters in the possession of British prostitute Lori (Joanne Whalley-Kilmer), Wallace's first encounter who winds up joining his side. We also know that somehow it all leads back to an elaborate scheme to reactivate the Cold War by deactivating a bomb planted inside a Russian Matryoshka doll at a treaty signing. And just in case you're wondering why they want to start up another Cold War, it's actually quite simple: it keeps the secret intelligences employed. (Roll your eyes as you see fit)
We spend an hour and a half watching Murray do what he does best - acting flamboyantly silly in the midst of highly serious dealings, which in turn annoys others and leaves us, the audience, laughing hysterically. THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE never gets quite that good, but you can tell it really wants to. You will find yourself laughing here and there - it's something you just can't avoid when watching Murray be such a pretentious buffoon - but you will also be sadly aware that this comic legend is on his way out, and Dr. Kevorkian can't even help a dying career be less painful to watch.
Aside from Murray, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE is laced with dime-a-dozen performances. Gallagher is the best he's ever been, which means he's just bad instead of awful this time around. Gaining more and more prominent film roles, Gallagher's slowly blossoming career, jump started by playing a comatose businessman in the 1995 hit WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, is in dire need of a talent boost. He gave us an absolutely nauseating performance in TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY, and while almost being decent here, he still suffers from subtle overacting that is more embarrassing than anything.
Murray makes this film ache to be recommendable, but it just isn't. Although Murray is almost always worth watching, here he is drowned out by lame, low- effort filming and direction that leaves a potentially funny film potentially worthless. With a PG rating and a high-level of silliness, this would appear to be a family comedy, and while it isn't offensive, it's too silly for adults to enjoy yet suffers from a plot too political to grab children's attention. Perhaps it would work better as a more mature, darker comedy, but one gets the feeling not a lot could've saved this, and it's a real shame when a plot with so much ability is destined for nothing more than an eternal resting spot on a video-rental shelf in Des Moines, Iowa.
December 29, 1997
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