Bowfinger (1999)

Filmmakers often remark that it's just so hard to make a bad picture that few would take on the challenge if they weren't so naive. Steve Martin's Bobby Bowfinger is cut from that pattern, one of those sweet, indomitable operators of Hollywood who seem to be descended directly from Ed Wood (of Plan 9 from Outer Space infamy). To resurrect his ramshackle existence, Bowfinger opts to film his accountant's sci-fi spectacular, Chubby Rain, about aliens invading in raindrops. The snag is he needs to attach action megastar Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy), an actor so paranoid he counts the K's in scripts to uncover possible Ku Klux Klan influences. When his effort fails, Bowfinger hits on an ingenious scheme to film Ramsey without his knowledge, throwing his actors at the hapless star whenever he appears in public. Only Kit begins to believe he's being hounded by aliens for real, and runs hysterically to his guru (Terence Stamp) at a Scientology-clone group called MindHead, where people walk around in fine suits wearing white pyramids on their heads. Deprived of his star, yet not to be undone, Bowfinger hires a look-alike, Jiff (also Eddie Murphy), to fill in. The tone of the picture is sometimes flat, rather than deadpan, but that's nitpicking. The farce is quick and engrossing, and populated with terrific performances, especially by Eddie Murphy, whose dual role as Kit and Jiff showcases his character-building gift, and by Martin, whose Bowfinger, part con man and part would-be visionary, manages to capture your sympathies. Heather Graham's would-be actress cheerfully sleeps her way to the top like she knows she's supposed to, and Christine Baranski plays her shopworn method actor with myopic self-absorption. --Jim Gay Amazon.com

A jewel of a comedy...

If you want a good laugh, this movie is the answer. The premise is fresh, the plot keeps you on your toes, not knowing where it is going, but you love watching it all happen.

Steve Martin plays the part of a Hollywood director who does not have the means to make a good movie, but he has a script that is awesome, written in 10 days by his accountant "Chubby Rain." The plot is about aliens who invade our Planet and they arrive in raindrops. He tries to engage others, to no avail.

A super star by the name of Kit Ramsey, played by Eddie Murphy is the actor that could win the movie an Oscar, but he is too important to care be part of this small time film. And here is where the movie has a twist that is fresh and such fun because they decide to film Kit Ramsey without his knowledge and they just simply find out where he will be and act, incorporating Eddie Murphy into the plot. Soon, Kit Ramsey starts to experience fear, anxiety, and feelings of persecution because so many strangers are coming up to him in such weird circumstances... and his acting is superb because he really is being attacked by aliens... the fun, the hysterics... Don't miss this comedy... it is a jewel!!!
May 5, 2008

Bowfinger

The funniest movie I have ever seen on movie-making. A must see for anyone who has ever thought about or wanted to or, especially, actually tried to make a movie. April 5, 2008

Silly fun

Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) is a 49 year old combination has-been / wannabe film director. In desperation, he hatches a scheme to shoot a movie using action star Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) without Kit knowing that he's in the film. Using a Candid Camera style of filming, he sends his actors at Kit with their lines prepared and films the result. It's silly and bizarre, and it also happens to play into an existing paranoia that Ramsey happens to have which greatly adds to his reaction as they film. Bowfinger uses borrowed equipment and a virtually non-existent budget as he races to finish the film before he's discovered and/or he runs out of money.

This is not the kind of movie one watches for thinking deep thoughts, but there are a few moments that are genuinely hilarious and most of the rest is amusing enough to be endearing. One scene involving Eddie Murphy running across the freeway is especially funny and justifies watching the whole movie. Murphy plays two parts in the film, Kit Ramsey, the paranoid egomaniac star and his brother Jiff, a dorky go-fer. He's especially funny as Jiff and clearly relishes the part. Steve Martin brings a fairly understated approach to his role as the puppet master trying to orchestrate the film and it works very well. Heather Graham somehow manages to pull off being a small-town naïve girl who simultaneously sleeps her way to the top with stunning rapidity.

Bowfinger is probably not the funniest comedy you'll ever see, but it has a few great scenes and the balance of the film is reasonably entertaining. The basic story resembles Ed Wood (Special Edition) in many respects, but is presented in a much more accessible and mainstream manner. It's silly fun that requires its audience to sit back, switch off the brain, and enjoy the ride. As long as you're prepared to do that, you'll probably like the movie. December 29, 2007

More please Steve...

Bowfinger was made in 1999 and Steve Martin hasn't made a decent film since, which is a shame because he is one of the finest comedy actors out there.

This one is a minor classic, a return to 80's form in fact. Martin plays a 3rd rate movie director desperate to get leading Hollywood star Kit Ramsey in his film. Of course he fails, but decides to shoot the film anyway, filming the star without his permission. Eddie Murphy is very good as Ramsey the movie star and as Ramsey the dumb brother who stands in for his famous brother.

Martin put a lot of time into this film as a writer and it shows, because its very funny in places. Sadly Martin seems to have a problem choosing his projects. We can only hope that the wild and crazy guy will make another film this good at some point in the future.
September 19, 2007

damn funny.....

I saw BOWFINGER in the movie theater and couldn't stop laughing my head off throughout the duration of the film. I happen to find Steve Martin's brand of humor quirky, witty and deliriously off the wall. This film is probably an example of his comedy at its best. Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) is part con artist/part trashy film visionary. Yes, you could compare his calibre of genius to Ed Wood, who prided himself in making "the worst film of all time," the wonderfully campy PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE. Bowfinger's vision of CHUBBY RAIN, an alien film, is no different from the low budget B movies that Wood prided himself on churning out. In this case, Bowfinger is fixated on a certain movie star, Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy), playing in the film. Since there is no chance of his ever agreeing to appear in it, Bowfinger's crew must film Kit without him knowing it, while the cast recites their lines at the unsuspecting (and rather paranoid) celebrity. What's more, Kit's "stand in" is played by a really geeky guy nothing remotely like the arrogant star (also played by Eddie Murphy).

Frank Oz brilliantly directed this over-the-top fantasy of celebritydom. The cast is terrrific, the concept is delightfully absurd, and Steve Martin truly had me wondering just what PLANET his character came from. This is one of those films that is great to watch when you are feeling down in the dumps and in need of some fast and furious humor. August 21, 2007

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