The Man Who Knew Too Little

A spy parody set in London. Wallace is an ordinary American visiting his brother. His brother has an important dinner and does not want him in the house. So he arranges a gift: participatory theatre. The man will answer a telephone in the street and do what he is told, becoming part of a story with actors. Wallace answers the phone. But it is the wrong phone: on the other end is a real criminal organisation and the instructions are real. He then walks through a lethal situation believing all of it is a game. He takes the guns for props, the bodies for make-up and the threats for good acting. So he is never frightened, and because he is not frightened everyone takes him for a professional. All the humour comes from sustaining that misunderstanding. The narrative runs on a leftover Cold War conspiracy, and both sides have their plans wrecked by Wallace. Bill Murray plays Wallace. Peter Gallagher, Joanne Whalley and Alfred Molina are in the cast. Jon Amiel directed. It attracted no attention on release and became a well-liked comedy later on television and video. An enjoyable production for anyone who likes light comedy and Bill Murray. For a viewer expecting a clever spy film, the narrative is built on a single joke.