BOWFINGER (1999) ***1/2 (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Christine Baranski and Jamie Kennedy Director-Frank Oz Rated PG
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Bowfinger is a good movie about the making of a very bad one. The screenplay, written by co-star Steve Martin, skewers everything in Hollywood from cheesy science-fiction movies to chop-socky fight sequences, and all in a crafty and accomplished manner. Anyone who knows of, or has had any association with movie-making should thoroughly enjoy this clever comedy for it's entire duration.
The central premise behind the film is an inspired and promising one. Bobby Bowfinger (Martin), a cheapskate and small-time Hollywood producer, has always dreamed of making a successful motion picture but has never attained the proper tools to do so. A new script, an alien invasion story entitled Chubby Rain, has caught Bowfinger's eye. After confronting a big-name producer named Jerry Renfro (Robert Downey Jr.) in a restaurant, an agreement is made to finance the movie. But first, Bowfinger must get renowned action star Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) to sign in on the project. Kit turns the offer down immediately, but Bowfinger still has the intent to shoot the film. After emptying out his life savings, the hapless producer tells the remaining cast and crew that Ramsey is involved, and then prepares to film the movie without the star's knowledge.
The actors confront Ramsey on the street, saying their lines as hidden cameras peek through bushes to capture the footage. The unknowing star, who is terrified of aliens and being abducted, is brought to believe there is actually pod people after him. When the conditions become even more treacherous, Bowfinger is forced to hire a Kit Ramsey look-alike named Jiff (also Murphy), a sweet-natured dork who runs for coffee in-between shooting vital scenes. These include attempting a suicide run across an 8-lane freeway, and one of the `hot' scenes involving supporting actress Daisy (Heather Graham) removing her blouse.
Bowfinger takes it's sweet time getting started, but when the plot switches into high gear, great things happen. Certain scenes are so precisely executed, perfectly framing moments that are absolutely fall-down funny. No, hilarious. Standouts include the chase through a parking garage in which Ramsey, who's supposed to be being followed, keeps checking behind him to investigate a strange tapping noise (it's actually Bowfinger's dog in high heels). And just try not to laugh in the climactic kung-fu sequence, featuring Jiff in an excerpt from another Bowfinger classic entitled Fake Purse Ninjas. While the entire 97-minutes of Bowfinger isn't always on target, individual scenes may have you rolling in the aisles.
Masterful comedy director Frank Oz (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, In and Out), who has never made a bad movie, ensures a quality final product and is aided immensely by Martin's sharp-edged script. However, the real on-screen star is Eddie Murphy. This is the actor's finest work since his breakthrough into the Hollywood market in the early 80's. Murphy excels at every corner, not only succeeding with presenting believable paranoia in the eyes of Kit Ramsey, but in creating a likable buffoon in Jiff as well. These three talented comic minds have squeezed every morsel of potential out of this premise, and the reward is a virtually guaranteed helping of hearty laughs.
Steve Martin generates the power behind Bowfinger, but Murphy fuels it. This is a summer-time comedy that, unlike something such as American Pie and South Park, doesn't break any rules. But it's still just as uproarious, or perhaps even more side-splitting than anything we've seen this season. The supporting cast, including Christine Baranski as a work-loving actress and Jamie Kennedy as the cameraman, all perform well within their limits. The only presence that demands real attention when placed next to Martin or Murphy is the beautiful Heather Graham, as the young film star who has plans to sleep her way to the top. Graham, attempting to further her stardom after appearing as the new Powers' girl in AP2, displays a cheerful but naive persona that nicely corresponds with the wackiness of the screenplay.
I wouldn't be caught dead buying a ticket for Chubby Rain, but watching how it all came about is certainly entertaining enough.
(C) 1999, Jamey Hughton
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