May 16, 2016

Bowfinger.


Review #795: Bowfinger.

Cast
Steve Martin (Robert K. Bowfinger), Eddie Murphy (Kit Ramsey / Jiffrenson "Jiff" Ramsey), Heather Graham (Daisy), Christine Baranski (Carol), Terence Stamp (Terry Stricter), Robert Downey, Jr. (Jerry Renfro), Jamie Kennedy (Dave), Adam Alexi-Malle (Afrim), and Kohl Sudduth (Slater) Directed by Frank Oz (#521 - The Muppets Take Manhattan)

Review
Ooh look, another survivor from the Blockbuster vault. Anyway...

Movies about making movies are interesting to watch with regards to watching the craft try to make something out of nothing, which also describes Bowfinger really well. Martin (who also wrote the script) does a wonderful job playing this desperate producer who clearly has a vision to make films but has neither the talent (nor luck) to do it. Murphy does a fine job in a double role, playing each person brilliantly enough that they stand out equally, and it is fun to see him play around with a character as paranoid as Ramsey is. Graham also excels with her charm and enthusiasm, with the rest of the cast also doing a fine job making these interesting characters stand out. Bowfinger is a movie that doesn't take a vicious stab at the Hollywood system, but it sure does rib at it enough with a good amount of fun and with good timing with regards to the lines. The antics of trying to film the movie (including a scene on a freeway) are excellent to watch, and you really get a good feel for these people in their attempts at making a movie. Bowfinger manages to wrap itself nicely in 97 minutes while balancing all of these wonderfully weird characters together to make for an entertaining look into making a film (in the non-conventional sense).

Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

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