All About Steve

Reading some critics' reviews, and the online IMDb votes, I was expecting a really bad movie. I was shocked to find not only a NOT bad movie. and not only an "OK" movie, but what, for me, was a really great movie! Of course I am a solid Sandra Bullock fan. I thought this movie took some interesting elements (Thomas Hayden Church's characters, for example, are usually so smarmy and sleazy they are unpleasant to see, especially given that he is such a good actor, he pulls the worst out of his characters), and played them together very well.

Fortunately, we don't all admire or like the same things in the opposite sex. What many often cluck over in celebrity ladies often leaves me cold, feeling as if I had brushed up against a self-absorbed block of ice. Bullock's on-screen persona is always a warm, earthy, personable sort. Matey. Chummy. It's the films, of course, so her traits are artificially heightened, but I LIKE those kinds of women in the real world. From all that I hear and have seen over the years, Bullock seems to be the real deal--- her on-screen persona is not terribly far from her real life personality. Whatever... but the point is that she brings a loveliness and kindness to her roles that I enjoy.

The critics have been unfairly beating up on this movie, I think. Granted, it's a rom-com, and a bit silly, but if I wanted hard-core reality, or gritty tragedy, I'd watch the news, or "Schindler's List" or something. I'd stay home and stare at my friends, or in the mirror, for free. I want to be delighted and uplifted at the cinema, and this film did exactly that. Hurray for Sandra Bullock and the "All About Steve" production team!

Is she supposed to be autistic? Are we supposed to laugh at her? That's the big problem with this movie. She's unbearable, and sad. Most of it is humiliating.

Mary Horowitz (Sandra Bullock) creates crossword puzzles for the Sacramento Herald. She's an eccentric mess unable to connect with other people. She's set up with TV news cameraman Steve (Bradley Cooper) by her parents. While she falls head over heels for her, he can't run away fast enough as he's call to the next news story. She chases him all across the country.

The last section does have a little bit of fun. She finally does a few things right. But it's way too late to save this movie. It's really sad to see Sandra Bullock flail away for so few laughs.

'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.

I don't understand a lot of the negative comments. We thought it was pretty funny. Was it the greatest comedy movie ever? No. But it was an above average movie. The disaster they came up with were creative and the way they turn it from the comedy to the emotional was a nice, unexpected twist.

I went in to the theater for the eye candy (Sandra Bullock), and came out laughing at the great job of parody they did on my former area of employment (TV News). And they do a nice revision of the main plot of "The Big Carnival" by Kirk Douglas - not a comedy - about an unscrupulous journalist (is there any other kind...) who tries to milk every drop from a man-trapped-in-cave story to jump-start his career. Sandra does a fine job of portraying her character realistically, as much realism as you can expect in a comedy/satire. This is what they used to call "screwball comedies" back in the black-and-white film era, except that the male actor always had talent. I haven't seen any evidence yet that Bradley Cooper gets work for any reason except being cute; no problem, talent will not be required from him for another ten to fifteen years. Thomas Hayden Church, as usual, nails the self-absorbed pompous airhead character they always have him play. That's OK, if you're good at only one thing and can make a career of it, at least he's a step ahead of Bradley. My main disappointment was that the apple-head sculpture website they mention for one character doesn't exist. You type in the domain name, and it takes you to the movie website. I wanted apple-heads, doggonnit! Oh, and they didn't put Katie Mixon to nearly enough use, what a waste of......TALENT! This one is a keeper on my Sandra Bullock DVD shelf.