STEVE! (MARTIN) A DOCUMENTARY IN 2 PIECES – A Review by Jenn Rohm
Morgan Neille is an inventive director of documentaries. He brings the stories to light to reflect the piece’s focus. What does he do when the person being talked about has changed so much over their life? He makes two films. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces provides insight into a man who has historically been so private.
Then, tells about his childhood, first jobs at Disneyland, and stand-up career. Like his work at the time, it was fast, colorful, and filled with laughter. The focus is more on the history of his career than on the man himself. Using footage from family films, still photos, letters, journal entries, and recordings of his live performances, we get a glance at the man himself. We go up to his leaving stand-up comedy.
Now, starts with Martin cooking breakfast in 2021. We get to know who he is now using a combination of current moments, clips from his movies, and interviews with friends. Martin is a very active person who continues to rollerblade and ride his bike. With many films to his name as co-writer and screenwriter, not every film can receive mention in this 1 hour 35 minutes film. Martin Short, of course, is in a good portion of this part of the story. The two continue to do stand-up together, and it has been announced that Only Murders in the Building will have a fourth season.
I grew up watching and enjoying Steve Martin’s movies. Both ‘pieces’ brought back memories of the moments I watched him perform. I have realized there is more of his work out there that I haven’t seen, and I will work on changing that. For fans of the man, I recommend watching both.
Director: Morgan Neville
Cast: Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Lorne Michaels, Martin Short, John McEuen
MPAA Rating: TV-MA
Genres: Documentary
Selig Rating: 5 stars
Runtime: Then 1h 38m, Now 1h35m
Release Date: March 29, 2024
Trailer: STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
