Film

Bowfinger (1999)

Director: Frank Oz

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Martin reminds us why he was once considered the funniest white man in America with this silly, savvy satire on Hollywood's lunatic fringe. He's Bobby Bowfinger, a producer/director with no credits and no credit. Even the self-deluded BB knows it's now or never time when his accountant gifts him a screenplay, the alien invasion story 'Chubby Rain'. Bobby rounds up the best cast and crew $2,100 can buy, and convinces them he's landed action superstar Kit Ramsey (Murphy) for the lead. His conceit has an oblivious Ramsey re-acting for hidden cameras in a vérité action movie. 'Cinéma nouveau', Bobby calls it. Directed by Frank Oz from Martin's own laugh out loud script, this endows showbiz stereotypes with a hardbitten narcissism that doesn't preclude a certain innocence. The supporting turns are generous by any standards, with Murphy near his best (he doubles as his own stand-in), and Graham having a ball as the world's worst actress. Preposterous and utterly self-absorbed, this has la-la land down to a tee.

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