Bowfinger Review

 

        This is one of the funniest movies you’ve probably never heard of during the late 90s. Frank Oz, who you may know him as a puppeteer and voice actor for Yoda, directs Bowfinger. Along with Steve Martin who writes and acts in the movie, tell quite possibly one of the funniest and ingenious ways to film a movie. While all the other ones have the dread of making the movie, here comes this one that lightens the mood. SPOILERS will appear. 

1. Rob Bowfinger

        Just like Ed Wood before, Bobby Bowfinger is a pretty ambitious filmmaker. Steve Martin wrote his own dialogue, and we see the absolute mad man that he is as a filmmaker. What sets himself apart is that he owns an independent studio that’s almost bankrupt. He reads a script that was sent in by his own accountant named Afrin. Bobby loves it and tells his own crew that this is their only shot to make it big. 

        He finds another producer named Jerry Renfro and shows him the script. He likes it and will work with him if he can get famous actor Kit Ramsey on the movie. The only problem is that Bobby meets Kit and promptly shoots the script since he hates it. This part is what makes the movie, Bowfinger and his crew decide to film wherever Ramswy is and have the actors act around him. The real comedy is having Kit just be completely confused and at times scared since he thinks that the actors are aliens. 

        It’s something with these recent films that I have reviewed that the filmmaker is the charm in the movie. Since this is the comedy, he goes to every length to get his film crew, especially smuggling in Mexicans at the border to handle the cameras. Their evolution in the film is just hilarious. Anyways, Bowfinger tries to act respectable in Hollywood, especially taking someone else’s fancy car with a built-in phone. He yanks it out and uses it as his own cell phone. 

2. Kit and Jiff

        Eddie Murphy also does a good job as action star Kit Ramsay. His problem is that he yearns to have a better action catchphrase. Most of the comedy is centered around him since, with the filming that happens he is so confused and afraid since the actors that are acting in front of him are doing it in a weird way. One thing about him which is supposed to be a spoof on Hollywood is the actor joining a cult. In this case, being a part of the Mindhead cult. 

        We all know who exactly their referencing, since it involves Tom Cruise and John Travolta. They really believe that Kit is hearing and seeing voices and tell him to relax. At one point, they invite him to stay at a celebrity relaxation center. To anyone who knows Scientology understands that those places are actually prisons like compounds. Anyways, the most shocking thing is that Murphy plays another character called Jiff. 

        Jiff is used as a stand in since Bobby needs Kit for a specific scene as the shooting continues. Like it’s obviously Eddie Murphy in the film, but the characters in the film are so befuddled that he looks exactly like Kit. More so when that he reveals that he is Kit’s long-lost brother. That part made me laugh since I was literally not expecting that at all. Most of the scenes involving Jiff are hilarious, since he’s nerdy and has braces in his teeth. My favorite moment is when Bobby directs Jiff to having him run in a busy highway. 

 

3. Guerilla Filmmaking 

        One thing that the film crew uses is a thing called “Guerilla Filmmaking”. It mostly involves a very independent film crew, like the one we follow, shoot one take of a movie without any permits. This method is embraced wholeheartedly by Bowfinger. Everything that they shoot is under a secret location around the city, mostly wherever Ramsay is at. There are moments where they might get caught, but Bowfinger’s charm has it where the cop is now part of the film. 

        Part of the charm is him being a director. Telling his cameramen to keep rolling and to call out his actors to appear and capture the genuine and hilarious reactions of Kit. It’s the best part since we get to see his film style and just how it’s just torture for Murphy’s character who gets scared and runs away. It’s like a game of cat and mouse, with Ramsay just trying to survive and the actors just pouncing at him. 

        The best part is when they actually see the film. For some weird reason they get a film premiere with a packed audience. The hilarious bit is that Bowfinger is led to his seat which is at the very front row at an odd angle seeing the screen. Seeing what they shot on location with shots of the actors and crew being happy that they were a part of something that was amazing. Especially when we see Bobby who is so happy with what he made, realizing just how much he loves his craft. 

4. Overall 

        Is it amazing? Yes. Should you watch it? Without a doubt. Bowfinger is another hidden gem of a comedic classic that has to be seen. It’s more hilarious than the movies that I’ve reviewed recently and is one of the best comedic films that I have seen that was released in the late 90s. 

Bowfinger gets a four out of five.