Bowfinger is a hilariously charming film starring Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy set in the heart of Los Angeles. Martin plays a filmmaker desperate to make a film despite his lack of money, talent or connections. The entire film is funny and Eddie Murphy proves why he was such a famous comedian back in the day as he portrays twin brothers with opposite personalities. There are great side roles for the likes of Heather Graham, Robert Downey Jr. and Terrence Stamp but the film belongs to Martin and Murphy. If you are in the mood for a heartfelt comedy without any pretenses than Bowfinger is a great choice.

'BOWFINGER' - 1999Directed by Frank Oz{The Dark Crystal; The Muppets Take Manhattan}Starring Steve Martin{Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Roxanne}. Eddie Murphy{Beverly Hills Cop; Coming to America} and Heather Graham{Boogie Nights; License to Drive}Steve MARTIN is a man that I truly admire in comedy. While I'm not always on board with his specific style of comedy, his movies NEVER cease to at least entertain and intrigue me. I love the SLIGHT cynicism to a lot of his movies and that is no different here, with 'Bowfinger'. As luck would have it,'Bowgfinger' is a Steve Martin movie that I really like and would recommend. It's not an Oscar worthy movie but it's still a fun, entertaining and slightly cynical satire of the 'dark side of Hollywood'. I definitely recommend this movie. It's well worth checking out.What do I like about this movie then? Well Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy are two very prominent reasons. Each actor delivers a very funny and at points heartfelt performance that elevates both of their pretty basic characters into multidimensional, interesting beings. I love the cynical edge to Steve Martin's character. It beautifully reflects a satire of Directors in Hollywood. On the flip side of that spectrum, Eddie Murphy's character is a perfect satire of Actors in Hollywood. I love the way they combine these two characters into this wonderful satirical adventure. An argument could be made that more time SHOULD have been dedicated to Kit(Eddie Murphy)'s character, but I disagree. I admire the mystery and intrigue behind his character. He's clearly delusional and, while I trust Steve Martin to write an interesting backstory for him, I think that ambiguity adds a lot to his character.The story for this movie is also a strong point for me. I dislike being repetitious and condescending so I wont go too much into the satire and cynical edge that this movie offers. But what I will say is I admire the bravery for openly mocking Hollywood. That aside, I also like the story and ending for it's simple entertainment value. Shooting an actor to unknowingly star in your film is an EXCELLENT and very funny premise.My one and only issue with this movie is the abrupt beginning. I admire getting into the action very swiftly but I wish the opening was dragged out slightly longer to let us get to know the characters more. It feels like they just start abruptly and thus I wish they allowed some more setup time and slowed down the movie a little. Let me get to know these characters and learn their NAMES at least before the shenanigans ensue. That is my main issue with this movie.Other than that minute flaw, this is a very fun, entertaining and joke heavy movie. The performances from our two leads are what drives the movie along and what keep it afloat. The script isn't bad but I don't think it would've worked NEARLY as well without Martin(yeah I know he wrote it) and Murphy in the leads. Their 'chemistry' and the way those characters react to the events on screen is a major selling point of the humour in this movie, and the majority of that comes down to the actors. It's a competently shot and edited movie so no complaints there. As a whole, I recommend this movie. It's very fun and has a high entertainment value. It's 100% worth a watch, in my honest opinion. I'll rate 'Bowfinger' 8 'Melty Faces' out of 10!

When grasping director Bobby Bowfinger finally finds the 'perfect' script, a cheesy sci-fi story called "Chubby Rain", he decides to put everything on the line and give it a shot.Gathering together an ambitious young Ohio actress, a melodramatic stage actress and a laid back male hopeful.Armed with a handful of illegal immigrants for a crew, a tiny budget, and equipment stolen from a nearby studio, Bowfinger lacks just one thing, Hollywood's hottest action star, Kit Ramsey.Refusing to give up when Kit doesn't take the part, Bowfinger and his crew do whatever it takes to complete the flick - secretly filming Kit without his permission and using his nerdy look-alike brother to fill in for remaining scenes....Just as it was looking like there was no coming back for the two comedians, Murphy and Martin hit us with this.It's one of the best satires of the Hollywood machine in years, and precedes the awful Tropic Thunder by nine long years.There is a lot of fun to be had here. Murphy hasn't been this good since Coming to America, and it's clear that he is having the time of his life. Sadly as of the 29/3/2012, he hasn't done anything noteworthy since.Martin is back on form as writer and star, but keeps his role very low key compared to the other actors.Hollywood and Scientology are ripped to shreds, and this could have been a perfect movie, id they had just left out a lot of the visual gags.It reminds one of Landis comedies from the eighties, and there are some jokes you may miss on the first viewing.Cruelly overlooked on initial release, this is a movie for film lovers and fans of old school comedy.

With an IMDb rating of only 6.3, I'd like to address the deficit.Comedy character acting isn't easy. Legends like Peter Sellers could do it, Sir Alec Guiness could do it. Here, we get to enjoy another master of that Art, Eddie Murphy. In this movie, he's at the top of his game.The sequence when Nerdy Burger Boy "Jiff" (played by Murphy) has to run across a freeway is one of the best-engineered comedy routines on film. I literally find myself aching with laughter as "Jiff" courageously negotiates highspeed cars, bikes and trucks, contorting his body in an afford to remain in one piece! (In fact, I wonder how they managed to film this sequence, since it looks so realistic!) The essence of great comedy is, unfortunately, other people suffering. (Not real suffering - acted suffering - due to comically-engineered situations). Laurel & Hardy knew this. Keaton and Chaplin knew this. Murphy and Martin know this. Without missing a beat, Bowfinger (played with aplomb by Martin) asks Jiff for one more "take". The real director (Oz) decides on just a few seconds of close-up as Jiff dashes across the lethal freeway oncemore. Looking at Murphy's tortured face is an achingly funny moment.But the laughs don't stop. Bowfinger amounts to a deliciously wicked satire of Hollywood's many shortcomings. Unhinged superstars, Mexican film crews and desperate starlets are all ruthlessly parodied for our entertainment. This is intelligent comedy and I appreciated its subtlety in every chuckle-inducing frame.If you feel down, I'm certain Bowfinger will supply the antidote.