BOWFINGER
A Universal Pictures release

review by Joe Mauceri

Two wild and Funny guys.

Premise: Bobby Bowfinger is forty-nine-years-old. He's come to the realization that if he doesn't make a movie now, he never will. Armed with his accountant's screenplay, "Chubby Raindrops," he is going to shoot his film with Hollywood's hottest action star, Kit Ramsey. However, Kit doesn't know it.

Review: Frank Oz, Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy come together to deliver a truly hilarious, side-splitting satire on Hollywood. Not since the golden days of Mel Brooks, Buck Henry and Carl Riener, has a film tapped into that such an honest, raw comedic energy. There are classic slapstick moments reminiscent of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World" and "Silent Movie." Martin's screenplay and Oz's vision is a delightfully entertaining pairing. Martin's a fine comedian and a gifted writer. His screenplay takes Hollywood stereotypes and humanizes them. He puts funny lines in his characters' mouths, and places them in ironic situations. Martin leaves no loose ends. For example, they wonderfully sustain the satire of the illegal immigrant film crew set up throughout the film. I laughed so hard that it hurt when they were sitting around the table talking about Hollywood directors in Spanish. Oz is aware of the screenplay's comedic timing, keeping the cast and camera on tempo. He captures some very funny stuff. All too often, audiences don't care about movies that focus on Hollywood types. However, this is a charming group of aspiring sad sacks that the audience can identify with, if not sympathize for them. At its core, it's a cast of characters' that are individually reaching for their brass rings. Director Frank Oz allows his comedic stars to return to their roots. Martin and Murphy's performances harken back to the "Saturday Night Live" and stage comedy days. Their energy is infectious, spreading like wildfire through the cast. Heather Graham, still fresh in the public's mind from her role in "Austin Powers 2," comes up with a new and funny character. Playing a straight man to these comedy powerhouses is Terence Stamp. Oz is a rare director who knows how to use special effects to create classic slapstick situations with a modern spin. The scene where Bowfinger convinces Jiff to run across the highway is classical. Hollywood's summer offerings included the graphic comedy styles of "American Pie" and "South Park: The Movie." After so much raunchy comedy, it's refreshing to see a well written, acted and directed comedy with classic overtones. Martin and Murphy deliver some of their best performances in years.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
www.bowfinger.com

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