Bill Murray Is Way of Out of His Depth in This Forgotten Hitchcock Spy Spoof Now Streaming on Prime Video
Bill Murray is regarded as being one of the funniest film stars in history, but there’s been a surprising evolution to his career. Although Murray starred in many slapstick comedies that benefited from his snarky sensibilities early on in his career in the aftermath of his breakthrough on Saturday Night Live, there became a point in which he needed to make a pivot; following a series of critically reviled roles in the 1990s, Murray began working with more selective auteur filmmakers on films that fit within the “dramedy” category, such as Rushmore, Wild Things, Lost in Translation, and Broken Flowers. As nice as it was to see Murray prove that he still wanted to experiment as an actor, some of his most loyal admirers may have felt somewhat nostalgic for the era in which he took himself less seriously. However, Murray delivered one of his goofiest roles ever in the spy comedy The Man Who Knew Too Little, which served as a parody of both Alfred Hitchock thrillers and John le Carre espionage fiction.
What Is ‘The Man Who Knew Too Little’ About?
Murray stars as the Blockbuster employee Wallace Ritchie, who makes the impromptu decision to travel to England on his birthday. Although Wallace is eager to spend time with his brother, James (Peter Gallagher), it begins to cause an issue when it is clear that he was not expected. In order to ensure that his brother’s visit is not a complete waste, James sets Wallace up with a “Theater of Life” business that allows him to live within a simulated play in which actors will help him on an adventure. Although Wallace believes that he is taking part in a fake spy adventure, he is accidentally mistaken for a real secret agent in league with a covert conspiracy. A group of former Soviet Union and British intelligence officers plan to detonate a bomb that will exacerbate tensions between the two nations, allowing them to restart a new Cold War that could make use of their advanced weaponry. Even though Wallace has no awareness of what he is involved in, he is tasked with actually saving the world from a nuclear apocalypse.
The Man Who Knew Too Little offered a return to a more vintage version of Murray whose comic charm was in his complete incompetence and lack of self-awareness. While Murray showed a caustic side in darker comedies like Scrooged and Groundhog Day, his character in The Man Who Knew Too Little is just as daffy as the roles he has in Meatballs or Caddyshack. Much of the charm of The Man Who Knew Too Little is that everyone else in the film is taking things completely seriously, which makes Murray’s reactions stand out as even more eccentric in comparison. This allows the film to satirize the overtly mannered, complex way that espionage is depicted in cinema; while the use of codenames and duelling identities is seen as the sign of great intelligence, Richie’s incomprehension is misinterpreted for an elaborate guise, suggesting he is capable of significant danger.
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‘The Man Who Knew Too Little’ Is One of Bill Murray’s Silliest Films
Murray is able to use his oafish comic nature to his advantage, as Wallace is never aware of the consequences that his actions could have. Although this results in many situations in which he is blissfully unaware of the danger he is in, it also creates suspense, as Wallace doesn’t consider that there could be any collateral damage. Spending so much time with a character that shows no signs of vulnerability may have been irritating, but Murray is so delightfully absurd that The Man Who Knew Too Little never overstays its welcome.
The Man Who Knew Too Little is the perfect type of parody because of how accessible it is; while those with an in-depth knowledge of the history of spy cinema might be able to pick up on the more subtle references, the film is broad enough in its humor that it does not require any background knowledge. While it is unlikely that The Man Who Knew Too Little will ever be remembered as one of Murray’s best films, it’s the type of project that only would have panned out due to his involvement.
- Release Date
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November 14, 1997
- Runtime
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94 Minutes
- Director
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Jon Amiel
- Writers
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Robert Farrar, Howard Franklin
