The Man Who Knew Too Little

I didn't exactly have high expectations going in, but I wound up laughing a lot. Bill Murray playing a guy who gets caught up in this web of intrigue, which he thinks is an improv theater experience his brother signed him up for, just works really well. It lets Murray ham it up as this goober who thinks he is supposed to be acting, and so tries to imitate all these hitmen and dangerous characters you see in stories like this. But since his character is a bit of a goober, he comes off as odd and unnerving to all the people he's interacting with.

Alfred Molina plays a Russian killer pulled out of his happy retirement to deal with this American, and he's fun, given his combination of scowling menace and awed respect for the nonchalant skill which Murray seems to be demonstrating as he keeps escaping. Although there's a bit right when he first enters the film where he complains that he was happy being a butcher, because he knew who he was chopping up and why, I thought that was going to set something up. It never really goes anywhere.

There are several cutaways to the business dinner his brother is trying to have (which is why he sent Murray out), only for Murray to interrupt by calling with updates and make things awkward. Those were annoying and not very funny, but they wanted to drag his brother into the main plot again near the end, so I guess it was a way to keep him in mind.

There are several spots where the movie with toss out some innocuous detail or comment early, only to bring it back around and use it as part of a gag or punchline later that I appreciated. It's a lot of misunderstanding humor, and a fair bit of slapstick, but it works.