Bowfinger

Down-and-out producer of films, Bobby Bowfinger, has a good script written by his Iranian accountant, and he wants one of the biggest Hollywood stars, Kit Ramsey, to star in it. When Kit turns him down flat, Mr. Bowfinger decides to shoot the movie anyway, by secretly following Kit around with cameras, and shooting his scenes without his knowledge.

A very entertaining and inventive script tagged alongside some fresh and revived performances by Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin, turn this film into an enjoyable time at the cinema. This movie is based on a very funny premise, features plenty of laughs, great acting and a fun soundtrack. I had recently given up on Eddie Murphy and his capacity to make me laugh in his latest pictures, but boy was I wrong, as this humorous film quite clearly indicates. Murphy apparently improvised some of his lines in this film, and he is just a wonder to behold. He is perfect as the over-the-top paranoid superstar Kit Ramsey, and just as hilarious in his other role as Jiff, the nerdy looking loser who is hired to shoot Ramsey’s wide shots. The rest of the cast is also diverse and a joy to watch, with writer Martin holding them all together with his absolutely patheticly charming character.

The one reason I didn’t score this film any higher than I did was because the premise of the film is essentially the whole film. There isn’t much more to it than that, and despite never being bored, I did find myself wanting a few more surprises than I ultimately received. That being said, I am happy to report that the chuckles did not cease spewing out of my mouth during this film’s entire run, with many potshots at Hollywood types sprinkled throughout, and a surprisingly sweet ending. Certainly the most original summer comedy of this hum-drum season, with the prime return to form of Eddie Murphy, an inventive and Tinseltown-skewering script by Steve Martin, and an overall fun time at the movies.

(c) 2021 Berge Garabedian