Review of Groundhog Day (1993) by Blake P — 27 Aug 2012

Bill Murray has always been so good at being subtly brilliant. With impeccable comic timing under his belt, and a knack for just simply being himself, there isn't a movie I haven't enjoyed him in.

I don't think I've ever appreciated his talent more, as I did when I watched "Groundhog Day". With a simple story-- a selfish news reporter (Murray) lives the same day (in this case Groundhog Day) over and over again-- you'd think that at some point the film would get redundant and tiring.

But instead of driving us nuts, it is just the opposite. As the film progresses, you really do think, "What if I lived the same day again?", and by the end you appreciate all of the situations brought to us.

The direction is top-notch, taught, focused, and subtle, and the writing is brilliant at making the funniest situations somehow relatable. We see many of the same scenarios time and time again, but it seems that with every viewing, they become funnier, and fresher.

How do they do it? The team here, director Harold Ramis, writer Danny Rubin, and actor Bill Murray fit together like a glove, and complement each other to the full extent. But in this case, the star of the show is Murray.

Even with the worst script in the world, there's no way he could in any way be less likable. At the beginning of the film he's a jerk, and slowly, as he lives Groundhog Day over once again, he does everything imaginable, and Murray is so sly in his delivery that you'd swear that he's doing exactly what he'd do in real life.

I don't know how he does it-- and even the beauty and talent of Andie MacDowell can't even match up to it. "Groundhog Day" is a delicious black comedy that is so successful every second that it's amazing how forgotten the film has become.

Recommended.