The Muse

Albert Brooks makes a Decent Attempt with his 1999-comedy 'The Muse'. Its a light-hearted film, that doesn't tax your brains.

'The Muse' is a comedy about a neurotic screenwriter & his modern-day muse.

'The Muse' is entertaining, but only in portions. While the first-hour is funny & well-paced, the second-hour takes a dip. The Writing isn't tight, nor is the pace. Brooks's Screenplay succeeds in the first-hour, but later-on, everything slows down. Brooks's Direction, on the other-hand, is very well-done.

Performance-Wise: Brooks can never be doubted as an actor. He's exceptional, as always. Sharon Stone enacts the nagging/materialistic chick delightfully well. Andie MacDowell is natural to the core. Jeff Bridges is winsome in a cameo. Martin Scorsese & James Cameron are fun in one-scene appearances.

On the whole, If you want to get Amused...Watch 'The Muse'.

Albert Brooks has long been one of the most underappreciated filmmakers working in the movie industry today. Less acerbic, but often just as funny as Woody Allen, Brooks looks at the world through a slightly askew, charmingly off beat prism, invariably placing himself in the center of his films as the average Joe persona put-upon by the daily frustrations and absurdities we all face as we struggle to make it though our often harried modern lives.

His latest charmer, "The Muse," provides even more of a fantasy insider's view of Hollywood than Steve Martin's recent "Bowfinger." Brooks portrays a fairly successful screenwriter who is suddenly experiencing steady rejection of his most recent script as studio after studio turns thumbs down on the project. Driven by desperation, he enlists the aid of a tempermental Muse, played winningly by Sharon Stone, an actual descendant of Zeus who moves her way around the Hollywood bigwigs, inspiring hit movies as she goes - or so her many devotees think. Part of the fun of the film comes in the latter portion of the film when doubt is cast on the validity of her credentials, which speaks humorous volumes about the state of mental health in that crazy land known as Hollywood.

In fact, the film is at its freshest in scenes in which Brooks gently skewers the crass insensitivity, lack of creativity and general madness of the movie industry itself - and he has enlisted quite a number of major Hollywood big shots to appear in amusing cameo roles that mock their own self-importance and that of the business they are involved in. Despite the occasional thudding one-liner, Brooks' script floats along much like a muse itself, fluffy, amiable and charming. The lovely Andie MacDowell, as Brooks' understanding and supportive wife, adds immensely to this air of breezy likability.

"The Muse," unlike so many modern comedies, manages to captivate and entertain without working itself up into a frenetic frenzy and without breaking into a sweat. This is a film, rather, to relax into and simply let the author take you where he wants you to go. The journey, luckily, is a fun one.

Brooks, once a prominent screenwriter who's now neurotic and struggling after everyone starts telling him he's losing his edge, resorts to desperate means and acquires the services of a benevolent but bizarre and demanding muse (Stone) to try and recapture the essence of his onetime brilliance. However, his life is soon turned upside down by all of her awkward, off-the-wall methods of improvement. There's plenty of crisp dialogue, laugh-out loud moments, and amusing cameos to hold your attention, but the film is marred by too many comic gaps in the script. Still, it's a good way to pass the time, and their are some sharp observations of the Hollywood movie process. **½

Brooks is the West-Coast doppelganger of Woody Allen, despite the fact that he's about twenty years younger & takes on characters decidedly white-bread Middle American Gentile. All of Brooks' movies are about him entering a critical transition period of life (or death). Like Allen's films, his variations on this familiar theme range in quality. 'The Muse' is a solid effort. Most Brooks films have funny zingers; this one has a whole filmful plus a clever story to boot, and a big-budget cast. The more you know about Hollywood and the motion picture industry (I recommend 'The Big Picture' by Epstein), the more true-to-life you understand the film to be, and thus the funnier the jokes become.

I'm not sure why it did poorly, and reading others' comments yields little insight. All I can say is that Brooks is never a fully sympathetic character--he is always at least partly to blame for his predicament--never quite the "aw-shucks" underdog. At least this time he and Johnson introduce other characters who are even more sympathetic to generate audience goodwill. Not to mention that the two leading ladies are both stunningly good-looking. Plus the whole Hollywood self-referencing is a lot of fun. Bottom line is, I believe that this is among the best of Albert Brooks' films. It has many winning qualities which permit it to transcend the Brooks formula. It shares a certain affinity with another wry comedy, "Being There"; both are stories about people being drawn in by the mysterious among us.

Albert Brooks' new comedy has again big names: Sharon Stone (as The Muse / Sarah), Andie MacDowell (as Laura) and Jeff Bridges (Jack).

The plot: Steven (Albert Brooks), has a difficult period in his life... no, he isn't sick or his marriage isn't breaking down (well not so far...) no, he lost his inspiration and that is what he needs for being a good screenwriter. He needs help and he asks a very good friend (played by Jeff Bridges) to give him a solution. Sarah, one of 9 muses is the best way to give him inspiration, but she is difficult muse, she has her quirks from time to time and sadly for Steven, her quirks are very expensive... but at least she gives him inspiration. Laura, the wife of Steven gets also inspiration from Sarah. She starts a little cookie -company. The rows between Steven and Laura begin to reach its peak. Then begins the fight for "the Muse"...

This movie wasn't great, but it was worth watching... my opinion is that every movie has something special and this also the case for this one...

Certainly the performance of SHARON STONE was wonderful, she is the best muse that I ever saw... I hope she continues to make movies after a stop for 2 years... lets hope that her health is good enough to carry on... ALBERT BROOKS was good as an actor, but sometimes the script didn't please me that much, probably the script that he is writing in the movie is better then the script of the movie. I hope that his upcoming movie with MICHAEL DOUGLAS will be a little bit better. ANDIE MACDOWELL was good to but she doesn't make a lot of movies... but I think it was very difficult to make something remarkable from her personage. JEFF BRIDGES was remarkable too; well he has the talent of his father Lloyd Bridges.

SPECIAL THINGS about the movie: 1. THE CAMEOS from Martine Scorcese (director from "The Gangs of New York) Rob Reiner (director from "The Story of Us" (see my review) James Cameron (director from Titanic) Also Jennifer Tilly and Lorenzo Lamas get a part in the movie as well. 2. The music from ELTON JOHN

WELL IT IS MAYBE NOT A HIGHFLYER BUT IT IS AMUSING FROM TIME TO TIME... GO AND SEE IT

Rating: 7,5 / 10 or **1/2 out of ****