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Bowfinger (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:107
Fresh:85
Rotten:22
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: A witty commentary on modern film-making, with enough jokes to keep it entertaining throughout.
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: When never-has-been director Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) finds a movie script he's convinced will take him to the Oscars, he'll do anything to get the movie made--including lying to his actors,... When never-has-been director Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) finds a movie script he's convinced will take him to the Oscars, he'll do anything to get the movie made--including lying to his actors, "borrowing" film and equipment from a major studio, and coercing border-jumping Mexicans to be his camera crew. With a budget of only $2,000 and no Hollywood clout, Bowfinger can only get backing by casting famous action star Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy). When the actor turns down the offer, Bowfinger stages elaborate scenes where his overly eager actors approach Kit, say their lines, and run off while Bowfinger films it, making Kit the unwitting star of the movie. Meanwhile, these strange encounters cause the already edgy actor to become even more anxious, building toward a complete nervous breakdown that might jeopardize the film's big finale. Gleefully spoofing Hollywood staples such as promiscuous actresses, Scientology, sleazy producers, and empty promises, the film celebrates the magic of the movies as much as it pokes fun at it. Director Frank Oz wisely gives free rein to screenwriter Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, who turns in not one but two winning performances as Kit Ramsey and his goofy look-alike named Jiff. A meeting of great comic minds, BOWFINGER is a Tinsel Town-skewering delight. [More]
Starring: Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Robert Downey
Starring: Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Robert Downey, Christine Baranski, Jamie Kennedy, Terence Stamp
Director: Frank Oz
Director: Frank Oz
Screenwriter: Steve Martin
Producer: Brian Grazer
Composer: David Newman
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Reviews for Bowfinger
Martin may express himself more gracefully than Bobby Bowfinger does, but the two share a certain quality of vagueness or absence that has plagued Martin's entire career as an actor and writer.
Bowfinger bears the same relation to satire as reports of the weekend grosses do to journalism.
A few bright spots aside, Bowfinger's jokes almost universally fall flat, with missed comic opportunities buzzing by at every turn.
Awkwardly patronizing -- everyone, except maybe Bowfinger and the bold sexpot, is so clearly set to fail that their final 'triumph' is surreal.
A film that fans of Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, and skillfully written and performed comedy should enjoy.
It's lively and frequently funny -- but why does it leave such a sour aftertaste?
The comedy is too frantically paced, and you can sense the cast trying hard — in some cases, too hard — in a futile effort to somehow elevate the erratic material to greatness.
This all has the potential to become a sidesplitting caper. ... Unfortunately, only a few of the manic scenes work.
An amiable bundle of broad, easy laughs, rather than the bitingly fierce satire it might have been.
The whole business feels obvious, soft without being especially affectionate and only sporadically funny.
The movie has some very funny moments but is oddly low-key, from its slow set-up of the premise to its lack of follow-through on some of the comic possibilities.
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