THE MUSE *** (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Albert Brooks, Sharon Stone, Andie MacDowell and Jeff Bridges Director-Albert Brooks Rated PG
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The Muse is 3/4 of a great film. For the majority of Albert Brooks' newest satire, the comedy is vibrant and funny, the situation is amusing, and the stars are immensely likable. And then, without warning, the film abruptly switches gears into sheer stupidity.
I suppose the 80 minutes of running time before it tumbles over into idiocy is worth giving The Muse a (very) minor recommendation. But I just can't help wondering what the film could have been if the formula hadn't derailed in the last dying minutes. To be sure, there are some big laughs and clever moments to be found. Unfortunately, the few crucial twists toward the end leave a sour taste in your mouth.
Brooks, directing himself once again, plays screenwriter Steven Phillips. As the movie opens, Steven is receiving a Humanitarian award for his contribution of over 17 Hollywood scripts (one of which was nominated for an Oscar). He ends his speech by stating `I'm the King of the room!', a punch line that no one finds amusing. Steven's co-workers and friends agree, even though the talent is still there, that he has `lost his edge'. This is when good friend and fellow writer Jack (Jeff Bridges) tells him the secret of his success: a muse. As the story goes, they are daughters of Zeus, and are able to inspire creativity. Steven, of course, doesn't believe it at first. So he coaxes Jack into setting up a meeting with his so-called `muse', and he can judge for himself whether she is for real.
Sarah (Sharon Stone) is this goddess of creativity. She has worked with such directors as James Cameron, Rob Reiner and Martin Scorcese, and can claim responsibility for The American President and The Truman Show. She requests a room at the Four Seasons hotel, where she is open to unlimited room service, and for a limousine to transport her everywhere she goes. Steven doesn't know quite what to think of this, but figures all this incessant spending is worth it if he is able to regain `his edge'. He laughably attempts to describe the situation to his wife Laura (Andie MacDowell), especially when Sarah calls at midnight requesting a salad and bobby pins to be delivered to her hotel room.
Part of the fun in The Muse is seeing what lengths Steven will go to, even if Sarah only claims to be what she is. Is she actually able to inspire her clients, or is she just masterminding an incredible hoax? There is proof of the first query, presented in a nice subplot about Sarah helping Laura to realize her dream of becoming the next `Mrs. Fields' (translation: a masterful cookie queen). And Steven does start to write a screenplay involving Jim Carrey and an aquarium, but he insists that was his idea. Sarah continues to milk him for every penny, Laura begins to enjoy her company and inspiration, and so basically Steven is in hell.
Fans of Brooks' low-key humor will likely enjoy his latest effort. There are a couple of great gags - one involving Steven's conversation with a man who can hardly understand the English language - and some nicely placed Hollywood humor. And in the center of it all, there is Sharon Stone's wonderful performance as the snotty title character. Lord knows what Brooks was thinking when he capped off this otherwise engaging comedy with an ending straight out of the Twilight Zone.
Up until everything goes awry, I really enjoyed myself. To be fair, I did a large amount of smiling, perhaps... even chuckling. So I was personally pretty bummed out after watching all of these amusing events transpire, only to see them discarded in favor of a hopefully `clever' twist. If I were writing Brooks himself, it would go something like this: `Albert: I quite enjoyed your latest offering. But, WHY??'
(C) 1999, Jamey Hughton
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