“What? He doesn’t need to act. We’re just gonna have him running around screaming things at people. That’s all an action movie is.”
-Steve Martin, as himself
"Martin the writer plants some wicked barbs in Hollywood's rear end about creative financing of movies and hoarding of profits, the art of the deal, hipper-than-thou attitudes and exploitation. When Bowfinger rounds up migrant workers as his crew, some viewers are going to be shocked, but they need to ride it out. Martin gives it a neat spin."
-Bob Graham, The San Francisco Chronicle
"Bowfinger sustains a level of mild amusement throughout. It's no small thing but no big deal either. The best routine may be the extended punchline—an elaborate bit of fake kung fu that underlines the movie's vaudeville dependence on ethnic stereotypes, even as it allows Martin to revisit his past with a bit of physical comedy at once nostalgic and mean-spirited."
-J. Hoberman, The Village Voice
"Oh, that's right. How did I forget about the Kung Fu ending?"
-Me, on the above quote
A buddy of mine (the same buddy who’s quickly becoming my own personal enforced meme) asks me if I’ve ever heard of “Bowfinger.” I tell him no. He asks me if I’ve ever seen it. I tell him I wouldn’t know whether or not I’ve seen it, because it sounds like a comedy, and I lurk on Comedy Central whenever I have the day off. Within the first few minutes, I realize I had seen it before. It stars Steve Martin as the title character. With a ponytail. (For the first few minutes, anyway…)
It’s a movie about a guy who wants to make a movie, but they have to pretend it’s not a movie. (So yeah, it’s a bit meta…) Along the way, there was a Tom Cruise expy who believed he wastalking to aliens threatening to expose himself going insane. I believe it was Eddie Murphy’s first “family-friendly” role.
"Martin the writer plants some wicked barbs in Hollywood's rear end about creative financing of movies and hoarding of profits, the art of the deal, hipper-than-thou attitudes and exploitation. When Bowfinger rounds up migrant workers as his crew, some viewers are going to be shocked, but they need to ride it out. Martin gives it a neat spin."
-Bob Graham, The San Francisco Chronicle
"Bowfinger sustains a level of mild amusement throughout. It's no small thing but no big deal either. The best routine may be the extended punchline—an elaborate bit of fake kung fu that underlines the movie's vaudeville dependence on ethnic stereotypes, even as it allows Martin to revisit his past with a bit of physical comedy at once nostalgic and mean-spirited."
-J. Hoberman, The Village Voice
"Oh, that's right. How did I forget about the Kung Fu ending?"
-Me, on the above quote
A buddy of mine (the same buddy who’s quickly becoming my own personal enforced meme) asks me if I’ve ever heard of “Bowfinger.” I tell him no. He asks me if I’ve ever seen it. I tell him I wouldn’t know whether or not I’ve seen it, because it sounds like a comedy, and I lurk on Comedy Central whenever I have the day off. Within the first few minutes, I realize I had seen it before. It stars Steve Martin as the title character. With a ponytail. (For the first few minutes, anyway…)
It’s a movie about a guy who wants to make a movie, but they have to pretend it’s not a movie. (So yeah, it’s a bit meta…) Along the way, there was a Tom Cruise expy who believed he was
It’s a very broad concept—an insane director and his ragtag actors, cinematographers, and illegal immigrants (all of which may or may not be mutually exclusive) have to put together a movie, legal and financial constraints be damned. It feels like a film along the lines of “Tommy Boy,” where the main character in question has to save something, or accomplish something, or kill so and so, and the protagonists race against the running time as shit slowly but surely comes together for the film’s resolution. (My best guess is this is how movies are actually financed anymore…) I saw this movie a couple weeks ago, before our college got out on winter break. I haven’t seen it or looked it up since, so I’m going mostly by recollection.
As far as comedies go, it invokes memories of “The Other Guys” (which I’m hoping to screen for my family on New Year’s Eve). The latter movie is also something of a subversive take on filmmaking, but it has a certain cinematic feel to it, invoking a latter-day buddy cop movie while deconstructing and poking fun at the archetypal characters it presents to us (while still feeling “mainstream” enough that I’m hoping to screen it for my family). “Bowfinger” is ten years older, but unfortunately hindsight does not reflect well on it. It literally feels like a movie I would have watched when I was ten years old, but this is not necessarily a good thing.
Part of my reservations for this movie comes from its tone. The main character is not a likable guy—he’s the epitome of the unsympathetic comedy protagonist, though, an archetype which has thrived throughout history—but the movie doesn’t want us to dwell on that. It’s a very plot-oriented affair—see “shit comes together” above—so we don’t really have much time to get acquainted with the characters. Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy get the most focus and carry the film, with a host of supporting characters and illegal immigrants (see “this is how movies are financed” above) behind them.
I wasn’t too sure about the purpose of the Eddie Murphy look-alike. My best guess is that he was a “subtle” (nudge nudge, wink wink@!) nod to the fact that he can apparently play five different characters at once; this film would have been made after the Nutty Professor movies, but before the abyss of filmmaking known as “Norbitt.” It was also a dig at how casting is often based on appearance rather than acting skill (see his first scene with the main female). Still, it was difficult not to be uncomfortable with how he was used, even if Bowfinger himself had second thoughts afterward.
The film is 99% farce and .001% inspirational flick. Frankly, though, the .001% took me out of the film. Bowfinger will stop at nothing to get his movie made—except for that one part where he does. Evidently he’s willing to smuggle in immigrants, have sex with the lead actress, and all but commit fraud while ruining a man’s life, but he will absolutely not use a lead actor without his consent…
As far as comedies go, it invokes memories of “The Other Guys” (which I’m hoping to screen for my family on New Year’s Eve). The latter movie is also something of a subversive take on filmmaking, but it has a certain cinematic feel to it, invoking a latter-day buddy cop movie while deconstructing and poking fun at the archetypal characters it presents to us (while still feeling “mainstream” enough that I’m hoping to screen it for my family). “Bowfinger” is ten years older, but unfortunately hindsight does not reflect well on it. It literally feels like a movie I would have watched when I was ten years old, but this is not necessarily a good thing.
Part of my reservations for this movie comes from its tone. The main character is not a likable guy—he’s the epitome of the unsympathetic comedy protagonist, though, an archetype which has thrived throughout history—but the movie doesn’t want us to dwell on that. It’s a very plot-oriented affair—see “shit comes together” above—so we don’t really have much time to get acquainted with the characters. Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy get the most focus and carry the film, with a host of supporting characters and illegal immigrants (see “this is how movies are financed” above) behind them.
I wasn’t too sure about the purpose of the Eddie Murphy look-alike. My best guess is that he was a “subtle” (nudge nudge, wink wink@!) nod to the fact that he can apparently play five different characters at once; this film would have been made after the Nutty Professor movies, but before the abyss of filmmaking known as “Norbitt.” It was also a dig at how casting is often based on appearance rather than acting skill (see his first scene with the main female). Still, it was difficult not to be uncomfortable with how he was used, even if Bowfinger himself had second thoughts afterward.
The film is 99% farce and .001% inspirational flick. Frankly, though, the .001% took me out of the film. Bowfinger will stop at nothing to get his movie made—except for that one part where he does. Evidently he’s willing to smuggle in immigrants, have sex with the lead actress, and all but commit fraud while ruining a man’s life, but he will absolutely not use a lead actor without his consent…
Except that’s the premise of the movie. That’s what he does to one character, but not to another. It would be inconsistent, except sometimes even directors develop consciences (in most cases, this is a breach of contract). Let’s face it, Eddie Murphy #2 is so pathetic, it’s not worthy trying to abuse his trust. Eddie Murphy #1, on the other hand, is Tom Cruise…
It’s to Steve Martin’s credit that he can be one of the slimiest producers put to film while still juggling a conscience. It’s when we see Bowfinger that we see the heart of the film, but the movie itself tries to develop a heart in its last act. It just doesn’t sell, though. His target of choice is a paranoid scientologist who thinks he hears voices telling him to expose himself to cheerleaders, and Bowfinger is still twice the madman his lead “actor” is. It has the makings of a black comedy, but the movie doesn’t really make up its mind on that one.
Unfortunately, it’s less than the sum of its parts, but for this there are still some good scenes. My personal favorite is the blink-and-miss-it confrontation between Bowfinger and the lead female. “How can we ever work together again?” “Yes, we can.” “Yes. Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
To summarize, 99% of the movie is an excellent movie and a jaundiced portrayal of Hollywood in general. The remaining 1% leaves me thinking, "Oh, great, they just drove a man insane." It's a great movie with a less-than-great ending.
Note: The Brewsky is an enthusiastic contributor and movie reviewer. And he has declared war on Happy Holidays. See his new documentary, "The War On Christmas."
It’s to Steve Martin’s credit that he can be one of the slimiest producers put to film while still juggling a conscience. It’s when we see Bowfinger that we see the heart of the film, but the movie itself tries to develop a heart in its last act. It just doesn’t sell, though. His target of choice is a paranoid scientologist who thinks he hears voices telling him to expose himself to cheerleaders, and Bowfinger is still twice the madman his lead “actor” is. It has the makings of a black comedy, but the movie doesn’t really make up its mind on that one.
Unfortunately, it’s less than the sum of its parts, but for this there are still some good scenes. My personal favorite is the blink-and-miss-it confrontation between Bowfinger and the lead female. “How can we ever work together again?” “Yes, we can.” “Yes. Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
To summarize, 99% of the movie is an excellent movie and a jaundiced portrayal of Hollywood in general. The remaining 1% leaves me thinking, "Oh, great, they just drove a man insane." It's a great movie with a less-than-great ending.
Note: The Brewsky is an enthusiastic contributor and movie reviewer. And he has declared war on Happy Holidays. See his new documentary, "The War On Christmas."
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