All About Steve (2009) Reviews

• Count me as another who enjoyed this film

  imdb-76602010-07-02

  I watch a lot of movies, though not when first run at theaters -- generally I'll wait until the DVD price falls. This is why I only now getting around to viewing this film that "won" Sandra Bullock her Razzie. And I believe that the Razzie voters were mistaken. I feel that Bullock did a nice job of playing a quirky, annoying person. Surely there were plenty of performances far more deserving of this award. Although the character could be annoying, she still seemed like someone that would also be good to have as a friend, particularly as she evolved by the end of the movie. I think that it would not be a stretch to compare Mary to PeeWee Herman in "PeeWee's Big Adventure." It was a nice cast and I felt that all of the actors really did fine work in this fun little comedy and will be viewing it again.

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• No Doubt About It

  boblipton2009-09-07

  This review DOES contain spoilers, so if you haven't seen this movie yet, and finding out about it beforehand will upset your enjoyment, go see it and then come back. Or don't see it. A lot of people are unhappy with this flick and I believe I understand why. One of the reasons this movie has been getting bad reviews is that it is being advertised as a romantic comedy, and it isn't one. You have Sandra Bullock, who has been in some very good romcoms, and two good-looking guys (including Thomas Haden Church who is always willing to mock his immobile good looks and deadpan delivery); the advertising campaign looks like a romantic comedy. What else can it be? Answer, it's a pure clown comedy, with a lead who starts out unlikeable, but goes on an inadvertent voyage of self-discovery. Its antecedents are not the romcoms you grew up on, but classic, flat out farces like Keaton's THE NAVIGATOR and Harold Lloyd's WHY WORRY? in which we start out disliking the hero heartily. In these movies, we wait for the comic to get kicked in the pants, because we don't like him..... but by the end of the movie, he has grown in wisdom and self-reliance, and we wish him well. Or, in this movie, her. It's a difficult balancing act and some people think Miss Bullock has fallen off the wire. Since she starts out as an unbearably smart motormouth to whom people are an utter mystery who winds up stalking Bradley Cooper, it's easy to write her off as insane and give up. But I didn't and it took me about half the movie to realize what the film makers were doing. It's not something done often since movies learned to speak, and among female leads, I can only think of Katherine Hepburn in BRINGING UP BABY and, of course, Goldie Hawn's movies in which her characters break out of their molds and walk away as good people; although her most financially successful outing was probably PRIVATE BENJAMIN, she did something even more extreme than the transformation that Miss Bullock undergoes here in OVERBOARD. One of the problems that people may have with this movie is that this is so rarely done, and Miss Bullock has the courage needed to bring off a comedy: she isn't afraid to look stupid or foolish or dress in outfits that don't suit her or fall into a hole in the ground. So many actors are. Miss Bullock doesn't change much here. She does become more self-aware as she talks endlessly about crossword puzzles, cicadas, hurricanes in Galveston and so on. The people she picks up on her voyage of self discovery are nerdy, not too bright, but quite willing to put up with her peculiarities because she will do as much for them; meanwhile Steve, Hartman and Angus, whom she pursues, make up a news team, and are busy worrying about how to get air time, usually by inserting themselves into news events as reporters, making themselves of interest when they have nothing much to offer. The actors do a good job, even when the roles are not well written or some key piece of celluloid seems to have wound up on the cutting room floor. This is, by no means, a great movie, but it does have enough grace notes scattered throughout to have kept up my interest. If you sat down to watch it, I hope you will agree. If you read this despite the spoiler warning, perhaps you will give it a chance. I don't guarantee you will not be disappointed: Miss Bullock's character may strain your patience beyond recovery before the story turns around, but then again, you may have a very good time, as did I.

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• You know what I really like this...

  Deathkneeler2009-12-11

  I really don't know what everybody was expecting when they went to see this movie. I expected a good date movie and a fun watch. Instead I got a light hearted movie about a woman who is like the rest of us, normal in our own world but crazy to everybody else. I really enjoyed this movie, I thought the acting was good and the plot was decent. It is a very enjoyable watch and if it is one I would advise you to see it. It has a very good core value to it. That one person kinda different or not can make a change in one persons life. I have a friend who is like this and it makes me only appreciate her personality even more, I like her the way she is.. Don't listen to everybody else, see this movie yourself, and give it a chance. You might like it.

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• The Woman With The Red Shoes

  Chrysanthepop2010-01-17

  'All about Steve' may not be a favourite for many but I found it to be laugh out loud hilarious. There are inconsistencies concerning the story, sometimes the film loses focus and the ending is a little choppy but for me it was the very funny dialogues and performances by the actors that made this film laughable. I also liked the characters. Sandra Bullock is easily one of the best actresses today even though she remains underrated. As annoying as her character Mary might be, there is something likable about her, an innocence and intelligence that made it impossible for me to dislike her. What Bullock excellently demonstrates is that Mary is a very brainy person but she is socially handicapped and consequently people don't give themselves the opportunity to see a lovable, kind and caring side of her personality. Bullock is further brilliantly supported by Bradley Cooper, Ken Jeong, Katey Mixon and Thomas Haden Church (this guy should be in more movies). 'All About Steve' is all about laughing. There were so many moments that had me laughing hysterically that I would suggest that one ought to just enjoy the film without expecting too much of anything else.

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• Romantic Comedy, Well Not Really, But A Comedy Nonetheless

  Jakemcclake2009-09-08

  Spoilers Comedy is the unexpected and there was no way to expect the sudden twists and turns of this movie. Some of these unexpected things can put off the viewer, however. The first time Mary (Sandra Bullock) meets Steve (Bradley Cooper) she has such a need to sleep with him, she jumps right on him. Then many more unexpected things happen. The most unexpected thing is when all of the character suddenly move to a happy ending at the end. For example, Steve has a total turnaround regarding Mary, that comes out of nowhere. At the same time Mary has an epiphany regarding herself, which turns her around. She also has an epiphany regarding Steve, that causes the movie to move away from the standard Rom-Com ending into a more realistic ending. But we hear loud and almost endless cheering for Mary and everyone winds up happy at the end. This movie is worth a view just for the things that I did not mention that will come out if nowhere during the movie and probably make you laugh. However, the message of the movie that - all people, no matter how they act, have worth - could get lost in the comedy and cheering.

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