A film review by Gio Corsi Copyright © 1999 Gio Corsi

I love Steve Martin, he has consistently been one of my favorite comedians throughout his roller-coaster career. I say rollercoaster since films like THE JERK or L.A. STORY or DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS constantly make me smile while others like MIXED NUTS, SGT. BILKO or FATHER OF THE BRIDE 2 are a little less desirable. So it came as no surprise for me to be extremely excited when I heard about BOWFINGER. Not only was Steve Martin teaming up with another great comedian in Eddie Murphy for a spoof on Hollywood Filmmaking but the script was also written by Steve Martin, does it get any better? Anyway, when the first previews came out I just died laughing, here was Murphy playing two totally different characters and Martin doing what he does best, playing a slightly neurotic and underhanded guy trying to become successful. Well now, the movie has finally come out and like a true fan I caught it this weekend and... I loved it.

Steve Martin plays Bobby Bowfinger, a down on his luck Hollywood Director who can't seem to cut a break. He finally reads a script for a movie that he believes is so good, it will change the course of his career. In his excitement, Bowfinger manages to find a big Hollywood Producer (Robert Downey Jr.) to show him the script and the producer tells him, "get Kit Ramsey for the part and you have a deal". Now Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) is the biggest Action Movie star in Hollywood and ofcourse wants nothing to do with Bowfinger. So instead of letting his crew down, Bowfinger decides to film Ramsey without his knowing and informs the crew that Ramsey's oddball antics are "the way he works, he's a professional". Of course Ramsey gets freaked by all these weird characters appearing out of nowhere and spouting off strange dialogue so he goes into seclusion. But Bowfinger needs more shots of Ramsey so he has to hire a look-a-like in the form of Jeff (Eddie Murphy) a nerdy errand runner and ofcourse, chaos ensues.

BOWFINGER is a very clever movie. Martin has managed to poke subtle jibes at the Hollywood system while at the same time celebrating the art of making movies. Each character is rich with stereotypical schmaltz but they have enough individuality to keep them interesting throughout the entire film. There's the foreign accountant who writes scripts, the carwasher who wants to be a cameraman, the wanna-be studly actor who thinks Bowfinger will take him places, the past-her-prime awful actress and ofcourse the naive Iowa farmgirl who will sleep her way to success. Each of these characters are funny in their own right but as an ensemble group, they make for good comedy.

It's obvious that all these actors are having fun (including Heather Graham and Christine Baranski) but the real stand out is Eddie Murphy. Sure his portrayal of Action Star/insecure Actor Kit Ramsey is no real stretch, but his job as the nerdy Jeff is a goldmine. This character is such a departure for Murphy, it's a real throwback to his character work on SNL. You can tell that there is a lot of improv added to this character and that both Murphy and Steve Martin are having a ball with it. And like I said earlier, Martin is at his comedic best obviously comfortable with his character he's portraying since he's the one who wrote it. The characters and script as a whole are very entertaining, some parts drag for a bit while others feel a bit hollow but as a whole, BOWFINGER works.

Lots of laughs and if you are a movie fan with a little knowledge on what goes into making a movie you are sure to leave with a smile on your face. Expertly directed by comedian Frank Oz, BOWFINGER never lets you forget you're watching a comedy with the help of it's strong script and strong ensemble cast. BOWFINGER is a very enjoyable film, sure it wasn't the best comedy of the summer (insert: AMERICAN PIE here) but it is good fun, in fact, this may be the jump-start that both Murphy and Martin have been looking for. And I have three words to say to you: Fake Purse Ninjas... now that's good comedy!

	Running Time: 120 Min | Rated PG-13 | US Release: August 13th | More >>

Related 'Bowfinger' Links:

• Official Site
• Final Cut - Bowfinger
• Cinema.art.br: Bowfinger
• Upcomingmovies.com: Bowfinger

The con is on.