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New Century of Cinema
DOWSE Guide to the
Movies
by Tony Lee editor of
Pigasus
Press
Bowfinger
93 minutes (12) Universal
Director: Frank Oz
review by Gary Couzens
Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) is a low-end Hollywood producer.
When his accountant writes an alien-invasion script called 'Chubby Rain', Bowfinger
gets a commitment from a producer, as long as Bowfinger can guarantee that action-
movie superstar Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) will star. Of course Ramsey won't give
Bowfinger the time of day, but Bowfinger is undeterred. He'll shoot the film
secretly, with his actors (including none-too-bright Midwesterner, Daisy, played by
Heather Graham) approaching the unsuspecting Ramsey and saying their lines. And when
they can't do this, Kit's dimwitted brother Jeff (Murphy again) stands in for Kit.
Bowfinger is a comedy at Hollywood's expense that works in fits and
starts. As satire, it's toothless and self-congratulatory. Daisy, who sleeps with
whoever will advance her career, is a joke that turns sour as she ends up on the arm
of "one of Hollywood's most famous lesbians". (It's not difficult to see that as
Martin having a go at his ex-girlfriend, Anne Heche.) But there are several funny
scenes amongst the dull patches: Murphy is entertaining as both the arrogant but
secretly paranoid Kit and the hapless Jeff, and Terence Stamp has a sharp cameo as
Kit's guru. Martin wrote the script: it's simply not at the level of Roxanne
or even L.A. Story, but it will pass an hour and a half amiably enough.
The video is available in fullscreen and widescreen (1.85:1). DVD extras:
outtakes, deleted scenes and a 23-minute location spotlight.
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