Click to read the article
The Muse (1999)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:75
Fresh:40
Rotten:35
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Despite quirky and original writing, the subject matter feels too removed to produce laughs.
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Albert Brooks is Steven Phillips, a veteran screenwriter of 17 films who is told he has lost his edge. A fellow writer with a string of successes under his belt (Jeff Bridges) refers Phillips to... Albert Brooks is Steven Phillips, a veteran screenwriter of 17 films who is told he has lost his edge. A fellow writer with a string of successes under his belt (Jeff Bridges) refers Phillips to Sarah (Sharon Stone), a professional muse (see Greek mythology). In exchange for the royal treatment and a showering of expensive gifts, she will grace writers with her presence, which seems to magically spark profitable ideas from the client's mind. Is her power real or is it all in her clients' heads? Why does Jack's wife develop a delicious and profitable cookie recipe in Sarah's company? Brooks uses his usual biting wit and thoroughly neurotic sensibility to lampoon the Hollywood lifestyle. As in THE PLAYER, many personalities appear as themselves to take a shot--most especially a hilariously jacked-up Martin Scorsese and a desperate James Cameron. Sharon Stone is unexpectedly funny as the capricious, avaricious muse who turns Phillips's life upside down. Brooks is his usual dry, hilarious self. [More]
Starring: Albert Brooks, Sharon Stone, Andie MacDowell, Jeff Bridges
Starring: Albert Brooks, Sharon Stone, Andie MacDowell, Jeff Bridges
Director: Albert Brooks
Director: Albert Brooks
Screenwriter: Albert Brooks, Monica Johnson
Producer: Herb Nanas
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Muse
It's good for some sterling one-liners and a generous handful of sparkling scenes, but after a strong, peppery start, the movie collapses into bland mush for want of anything interesting to say.
Though consistently fun in an Albert Brooks kind of way, this film drags its feet with the business of building to a climax.
Ostensibly a comedy about inspiration and creativity, The Muse is a clunker that's actually painfully lacking in both qualities.
In The Muse, Brooks makes a mistake he's never made before: he starts with a situation comedy, then never moves beyond the situation.
A writer and comic who's the best when he's the nastiest, Brooks creates for himself a character that's way too accommodating and sweet.
There are bits in this movie that are so bright, so amusing and so truly, madly, deeply tied to a life most of us will never know, that you can’t help watching the film with fascination.
There are lots of punchy lines, but the one-joke movie doesn't have all that much to say.
Typically fresh and idiosyncratic in the writing but often flat directorially.
Latest News for The Muse
March 30, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Slither" Is Certified Fresh, "Ice Age 2" Is Lukewarm, "ATL" Is Hot, And "Basic 2" Is Very, Very Bad
This week at the movies, we've got a pair of sequels that will appeal to widely disparate demographics ("Ice Age 2: The Meltdown," "Basic Instinct 2"), a... More...
September 23, 2005:
Abrams Pal to Deliver "Top Secret" MI:3 Cameo
ComingSoon.net delivers a nifty little nugget from a TV Guide interview that involves an actor, a very popular TV show, and a top-secret cameo in the next "Mission:... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Muse at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


