Compras Nikon Bluetooth |
This American indie take on the slacker lothario falls into the old familiar story: eternally adolescent man meets grown-up woman and is forced to face up to a life in which he has never taken an emotional risk or a life-changing plunge. Logue's easy charm and low-key confidence makes Dex an easy guy to like, and director Jenniphr Goodman (who cowrote the script with Greer, her sister and star of the film) invests his lifestyle of leisure (mostly guys chatting about girls and trading pop culture references) with an offhanded naturalness. But neither is she oblivious to the holding pattern his life has taken. Sure, there's an inevitability to this shaggy romance, but there's an undeniable pleasure in seeing the change in the landscape of a familiar road. --Sean Axmaker
MAJOR SPOILER FOLLOWS.......
Consider the actions of Syd. She:
1) loses her desire for Dex. (10 years of loathing after their one night stand took their toll.)
2) shows her excellence in his precense (playing the drums, remember?)
and, then after an hour of screen time full of assorted machinations, she:
3) splits for New York!
So the _real_ message is that the Tao of Steve can not only work for overweight men, but for women as well.
In my view these characters had a long way to go before really falling in love and, in many respects, the movie ends just as the real story about that potential love is about to begin.
Dex is played by Donal Logue, from the very funny sitcom GROUNDED FOR LIFE. He's charismatic and likable despite flaws (who hasn't got them, after all?) Much of the rest of the cast is composed of friends and family of the director/co-writer, which gives the movie a natural, unscripted feel. The story is based on the real life experiences of Duncan North, who also co-wrote the film. It's a romantic comedy, but with the freshness that indie films seem so much more capable of than Hollywood productions. It's light; it won't have you on the floor with laughter, nor will it touch you deeply, but it is a wholly enjoyable little film, and one which I would recommend.
The DVD contains a commentary track by the director, co-writer, and the two leads, and is casual and interesting. You'll learn about the man behind the movie, and it is worth checking out as well.
The title doesn't refer to any one character in the movie, but rather the mystique of the quintiessential American Guy (aka, "Steve") who is cool and hip and gets all the girls without even trying. Main character Dex is the embodyment of the Tao, as he has many, many beautiful girlfriends despite being rather portly, unkept, and a loser in professional life. Sheer personality and cunning allow Dex to figure out women and win their affection (or specifically, to have sex with them). The film's plot revolves around his (successful) struggle to win one non-responsive girl in particular (named Syd), and also explain to his guy friends how the master gets the job done.
The rules of the Tao of Steve are simple yet easily misunderstood, and the film does a great job of fleshing them out into something real and concrete. Dex's "conquest" of Syd is especially fun to watch because it realistically twists and turns throughout the movie, and you'll appriciate the "dorky guy" character who, while watching from the sidelines, asks all the stupid "what if" questions you've ever wanted answered.
I was amused that the ending was so obviously sanitized for the ladies. Basically, Dex falls in love and denounces the Tao, thus "changing" for his girl and giving us a "happily-ever-after" ending; girls in the audience might be tempted to believe that guys don't really embrace this womanizing, sexist view of life that basically disempowers them. Sadly, ladies, the Tao is very real and does not go away after true-love. It also reminds me that the film's core essense can only be understood by guys.
Also, this "clean" ending isn't really needed, as the men in the film aren't all powerful, and the women aren't weak and clueless. In fact, the movie's charm comes from its character and contradictions, how Dex sometimes talks too much, how heis sometimes completely transparent, how Syd is herself not a towering temple of womanhood, either. Perhaps the Hollywood ending is there is remind us that a) the Tao can only get you so far, and b) there are somethings that the sexes will never understand about each other.
The title doesn't refer to any one character in the movie, but rather the mystique of the quintiessential American Guy (aka, "Steve") who is cool and hip and gets all the girls without even trying. Main character Dex is the embodyment of the Tao, as he has many, many beautiful girlfriends despite being rather portly, unkept, and a loser in professional life. Sheer personality and cunning allow Dex to figure out women and win their affection (or specifically, to have sex with them). The film's plot revolves around his (successful) struggle to win one non-responsive girl in particular (named Syd), and also explain to his guy friends how the master gets the job done.
The rules of the Tao of Steve are simple yet easily misunderstood, and the film does a great job of fleshing them out into something real and concrete. Dex's "conquest" of Syd is especially fun to watch because it realistically twists and turns throughout the movie, and you'll appriciate the "dorky guy" character who, while watching from the sidelines, asks all the stupid "what if" questions you've ever wanted answered.
I was amused that the ending was so obviously sanitized for the ladies. Basically, Dex falls in love and denounces the Tao, thus "changing" for his girl and giving us a "happily-ever-after" ending; girls in the audience might be tempted to believe that guys don't really embrace this womanizing, sexist view of life that basically disempowers them. Sadly, ladies, the Tao is very real and does not go away after true-love. It also reminds me that the film's core essense can only be understood by guys.
Also, this "clean" ending isn't really needed, as the men in the film aren't all powerful, and the women aren't weak and clueless. In fact, the movie's charm comes from its character and contradictions, how Dex sometimes talks too much, how heis sometimes completely transparent, how Syd is herself not a towering temple of womanhood, either. Perhaps the Hollywood ending is there is remind us that a) the Tao can only get you so far, and b) there are somethings that the sexes will never understand about each other.
Religious allusions are some of the most popular allusions in all of film and they are abundant in this one. Everything from Buddhism to Taoism to Nihlism to Catholicism is touched upon. It is all done with a degree of both cynicism and reverence. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the film is the intelligence of the writing. The script uses a group of well educated men in their early thirties to illustrate how concepts of ancient religions can be interspersed with ideas of pop culture and courtship in the twentieth century to create a way of life which leads one to the end they desire. Although this works for them for a time, eventually this idea is shown to lead one to what they believe they desire but to fulfill only the most basic of needs. The concept is eventually dismantled through character interaction and dialogue, some of the best examples of the two seen on film in recent years. Particularly impressive is the way the script has one character build up these ideas using the ideas of great writers, thinkers, and religious figures from the past while another character can strike them down with references which are just as literary and relevant. The most impressive part is that these intellectual debates never come off as pretentious, we never feel that the any of the characters are speaking over our heads. With all of the philosophical knowledge that is thrown at us Dex is still our everyman, Syd is still the girl we all had class with in college.
The setting is integral to the story, and the cinematography works to convey the philosohpies which are being addressed. In Santa Fe houses work themselves into the landscape, at the opera Dex's shirt blends him into the scenery, everything in the film blends together and it helps to convey that everything in the world is interelated, no matter how important we think we are we're all a part of the whole. This intergral lesson is what Dex must learn to achieve his goal, and it is conveyed perfectly throughout the film through the cinematography.
In reading the credits one can see the interelatedness of the people who produced this movie and the personal story that the screenwriter told through his script. Watching this film is like having your closest friends over for dinner, sharing your memories and stories of your current lives. The fact that it opens at a reunion is not an accident, and it carries that feeling of warmth, apprehension and coming home throughout. When I finished watching "The Tao of Steve" I wanted to hit rewind and watch the whole thing over again. It is rare that a film encapsulates a feeling of home and at the same time of such grand philosophical truths. But it is the familiarity of the characters which makes these truths and ideas easy to digest, and "The Tao of Steve" such a likeable, easy to watch, thought provoking film.
This film reminded me of "Committed" starring Heather Graham in some ways, with similar settings, similar mystical themes and a feeling of redemption at the end. I would say that "The Tao of Steve" is a better film though because it tells the story in a much more simple, straightforward manner. There is no place in this film for a viewer to get lost, but when given deeper thought, there are incredible areas set up for the viewer to explore.
His easy-going life includes joyful employment as a part-time teacher in a kindergarden, a cadre of admiring friends -- including a Tao trainee -- gorgeous country, and ample proof of just how well The Tao works in the collection of Dex-groupies. We should all have it so good, right? Well, not so fast. See, Dex is not the only smart one in this movie.
Director Jenniphr Goodman and her sister and co-star, Greer Goodman, who wrote the script between them, have plenty of intelligent things to say and show as well. From the earthy tones of Santa Fe to the witty repartee and bulls-eye casting, this is one terrific and smart romantic-comedy.
Oh, did I mention how much I liked the soundtrack? :o)
At any rate, in a film which sisters Jenniphr and Greer Goodman based on a friend (co-writer Duncan
North), Donal Logue plays a slovenly, bong loving, philosophy major, who, now ten years out of
college, is a kindergarten-teaching sybarite, whose improbable continued success at bedding women,
including a friend's wife, makes him the philosopher king of his group of housemates and hangers-on.
As such he expounds upon his method for hooking up with babes, a series of shallow, though amusing,
maxims that he's dressed up as "The Tao of Steve". Named for a group of ultracool guys from the
70s--Steve McGarrett (of Hawaii Five-O), Steve Austin (The Six Million Dollar Man), and the
ultimate Steve, Steve McQueen--the Tao boils down to three rules to follow when pursuing women :
(1) Eliminate your desire. (Which basically suggests that you pretend you aren't trying to get
your hood waxed.)
(2) Do something excellent in your target's presence. (Typically this might include playing pool
in a barroom setting, but in Dex's case consists of showing off intellectually and being good
with the kids he teaches.)
(3) and, Retreat. (Prior generations would have called this "playing hard to get.")
God only knows, if even he does, what makes certain men successful with women, but one thing is
reasonably certain : it isn't the Tao of Steve. Instead, as both the time that Dex put into developing his
theories and his obsession with sex tend to prove, it's really just a matter of effort and willingness.
Persistence, to the exclusion of pride and decency, and the acceptance, of whatever's offered, those are
the real keys. Dex, though he is charming in a roguish kind of way (in what should by all rights be a
star-making turn by Logue), resembles the babe hounds we all know, or knew, in just that one way; for
all his talk of desirelessness and retreat, he works really hard at scamming babes, to the point where he
doesn't really have time for much else.
That is until he meets Syd, a pretty, blonde, stage set designer, at their 10th college reunion and she
proves maddeningly immune to his charms. At one point when he starts pontificating about Don Juan,
she says that he :
...slept with thousands of women because he was afraid that he would never be loved by one.
In his increasingly desperate pursuit of her, Dex pretty much ignores all of his own rules--his desire is
manifest; he humiliates himself on a camping trip and gets beaten up by the cuckolded husband; and he
is omnipresent--but still, inevitably, gets the girl. Holding her however proves to be far more difficult,
particularly when she finds out about the Tao, and Dex is forced to choose between an adult
relationship with a woman he loves, or a continuation of his rather infantile existence. You'll not have
difficulty guessing which he chooses.
All of this is exactly as predictable as it sounds in the retelling, but it somehow works. The film has a
few things going for it. First, the script is intelligent and frequently funny, not in a pretentious and
intellectual way, but in the manner of late night conversation around a beer tap. It may not hold
together too well when exposed to the light of day, but it's amusing while it lasts. Second, there's
Donal Logue. Dex is so cretinous that it is impossible to like him all of the time, or even much of the
time, but Logue is so charming that it's equally hard to truly dislike him. Lurking beneath the layers of
fat, the clouds of pot, the erudite facade, and the saccharine exterior, we sense there's a worthwhile
fellow trapped within his own immaturity and selfishness. Third, the New Mexico setting and the
excellent soundtrack help to give the film a strong and unusual identity, a distinctness that the
somewhat overfamiliar story does not have.
Finally though, what makes the film stand out is something that probably shouldn't, that it requires its
main character to become a better person. The blockbusterization of Hollywood--which has largely
substituted action and special effects for plot, dialogue, and character development--and the chicness of
the independent industry--which has elevated snappy dialogue and sensational plots over all else--and
the blanket of political correctness which has descended over both, have brought us to the point where
the rarest of all things in the movies is a traditional moral tale like this one. How old-fashioned to
offer us a movie where a smart but smarmy ladies man is transformed by the love of a good woman--it
sounds more like a Rock Hudson/Doris Day vehicle than a Sundance entry, doesn't it?
One social phenomenon that you'd like to think started beforehand but which has at least accelerated
since the events of September 11th is the search for entertainment that's actually about something. The
next time you're in the video store, and the concept of watching the latest explosion fest or inane
comedy is unimaginable, try to find The Tao of Steve, it's well worth your effort.
GRADE : B-
I think self-described "discriminating filmgoers" and reviewers both tend to be wowed by films that lack action sequences and feature lots of dialogue and sharp one-liners. However, that alone does not make a great movie. For one, I had a lot of trouble believing that a guy like Dex was capable of spouting off the kind of philosophical gibberish that he did throughout the film. Secondly, even if you buy the premise that Dex is a thinking-man's stoner who is well-read and deep, you don't like him any more because of it. His spiels about bedding women and enlightenment were really, really boring, and would have sounded more genuine from a man half his age. And the cultish way in which Dex and his buddies followed the tenets repeated throughout the movie, as well as their allegiance to Steves, reminded me of that epidemic of "Men's shows" (like The Man Show, and that one hosted by Frank Zappa's son) that try to promulgate what is cool and macho. Another reviewer herein appropriately mentioned "Swingers, " which I also hated for many reasons, including its attempt to write the script for what was cool without worrying about any accompanying storyline, plot, or redeeming characters. "Tao of Steve" is like that- the story seems to have quickly originated from someone's "Cool List," without form.
There were so many other things that were tough to swallow in this movie: There is no way that Syd would fall for Dex, even if you discount his obesity, his arrogance, his lying, his transparency, and the fact that he doesn't remember he slept with her in college. Her about-face which results in their ultimately hooking up came out of the blue, seemingly just because he expressed that he was falling for her. Also, Dex was obnoxious. A vastly overused tool of movies is to make a lug seem like a decent guy by showing him surrounded by kids (e.g., Happy, Texas; Billy Madison), and this film employs that device in spades. Dex's good-guy buddy was annoying, too, and yet he predictably followed Dex's code and got the girl.
The worst thing about this movie is the quoting it inevitably has engendered from the same knuckle-headed guys who knew (and repeated) every line of Swingers.
So take a second look folks: there is much to learn here!
Unlike most romantic comedies in this vein where the hero is a lovable loser, the main character in this film is an actual loser - a loathsome jerk with few redeeming qualities. I would find it hard to believe that the audience can or would identify with the guy. He reminded me a bit of the Star Trek-loving owner of the comic book shop in "The Simpsons." The writer & director try to give the main character some of that indie film 'edginess' (see "Swingers") by having him quote one-liners about dating and modern-day relationships from Eastern philosophy, but they all come off as cliched and forced and are destined to be repeated in internet chat rooms and college campuses across America. Same with the fascination with 1970s lowbrow pop culture (OK, Steve McQueen was big in the 60s). C'mon, it was done almost 10 years before with the Brady Movie!
(spoiler)
This film is one string of formulas after another that have been done so many times, it's like southwest furniture and dream catchers hanging from endless rearview mirrors - enough already!
"Viewer from Brooklyn" (below) pans the script and direction; and, indeed, both are clumsy. However, "viewer from Brooklyn" recommends that Jenniphr Goodman (director) attend film school -- ironically, he is clearly not aware that she graduated, with honors, from New York University's Graduate Film School.
The main character, "Dex", is based strongly on the life and personality of the co-writer, Duncan North. North is a graduate of St. John's College (of both Santa Fe and Annapolis), a very unusual liberal arts college whose curriculum is based entirely on the so-called "Great Books" canon. (This reviewer is also an alum of the college.)
SJC is never referred to directly, which is a pity because some information about Dex's unusual education -- and the social milieu that he's a part of as a result -- might have better explained Dex's unusually erudite and philosophically oriented world-view. Large ideas and significant quotes persist throughout the film (though almost always presented in a lighthearted manner), and there's no doubt that this will have an effect on how one views and enjoys this film. For many, it will seem insufferably pretentious.
On the other hand, the college itself and its alumni might all be grateful for the lack of identification: Dex's erudition seems to be put exclusively to the task of cocktail-party (and poker party) chatter, intellectual sexual come-ons, and general puffery. Furthermore, the erudition seems all-too-shallow, as if Dex's primary source was the Reader's Digest version of Mortimer Adler's "Great Ideas". Whether this is representative of Duncan North himself, I don't know, but it certainly is not representative of the college or its alumni.
The fact remains, however, that ultimately Dex's only real charm is his unabashedly childish (and very Taoist) love of being a kindergarten teacher. This part of Dex is perhaps the only evidence that there's a part of himself that is truly engaged with the world, that perhaps takes these great ideas earnestly and with good nature, and that there is, in the end, a reason for a woman to fall in love with him.
All in all, "The Tao of Steve" is itself a gem-in-the-rough. It's a film of scattered pieces, some of which are attractive and valuable, others of which are fool's gold, (and still others of which are just plain old rocks). Like Dex, the film has within itself something beautiful and important to reveal, and yet cannot truly do so because of a certain preoccupation with superficiality due to the imperatives of insecurity. Expect Ms. Goodman's next film to be more self-assured.
1. Steve. These are the guys you emulate by showing up, being excellent in a girl's presence, and getting the heck out. The way Dex describes it to one of his friends, men can only wait five minutes before hitting on a woman. Women, on the other hand, can wait ten minutes. So Steves wait it out so they become the chased, rather than chasing women and looking like fools.
2. Stu. These are the fools. They come on way too strong to women. The only way they see action is through pressing a woman into it. No glory here. Dex names people like Gomer Pile as a-list Stus.
The movie then shows how although Dex's rules are awesome for the single guy on the prowl, the [...] games don't work when you want to be honest and true to a girl you really care about. Dex pleasently breaks all of his own rules and looks noble doing it!
The icing on this movie is that it is so incredibly true. If I were five years younger when I saw this movie, it probably would've changed my life. It also explains (somewhat) to my satisfaction why guys who have a girlfriend/fiancee/wife always seem to get hit on when they go out with their friends. It's because they don't give a rip about women, and that perplexes the fairer sex. Watch this movie, then admire your friends who are Steves and laugh at the Stus.
Terrible. A waste of time and money.
The opening credits of ThE TAO oF STeVE are displayed against the spines of philosophy books on a bookshelf, a reference to the many philosophies which have been honed and perfected by Dex, in his quest to become the most irresistible guy possible. His philosophies, culminating in 'The Tao of Steve,' (based on the belief that every "truly cool guy" in the world has been named Steve, most notably Steve McQueen) which instructs its 'disciples' (a couple of Dex's friends who follow Dex's thoughts mainly because he is so damn successful with the ladies, they all agree he must be doing something right!!) to follow three golden rules, basically The Rules but for Men. And the prize isn't marriage and a mortgage, it's Sex. I think the main rule was "We pursue that... which retreats from us." He will say that, do some cute mannerism, then say something like, "Think about it." Hilarious.
The first major scene reveals Dex at his best, and, as we'll see, his worst. He's having hot, stand-up sex against a row of library books.... but it's with his friend's wife! (they are having an affair). As the scene pans out, we see that this is taking place during a college reunion while the rest of his friends are outside in the courtyard, milling about, drinks in hand, sun beating down. And we see that there's a girl out there, playing the drums, temporarily unaware of Dex and his current, er, activity. And we'll come to find out that, given a bit of time, and a few tugs on Dex's heart-strings, this not completely unfamiliar woman has got a thing or two to teach our hero... that no book or self-obsessed philosophy could ever accomplish!! It's all uphill from there.... well, you'll see. He might have a chance at True Love!!
A lot of the comic force of the movie comes from this look into our habits, and the Garfield-esque slouch which has resulted from Dex having so many bad ones. He's a smart guy, and he does have a conscience -- he knows what he should or shouldn't do... he just can't help himself, and he has no motivation to change. If anything, all these adoring women and fun times have pushed him in the other direction. That is, until he meets Syd, the drummer-girl with the looks, the brains, and the attitude to stop 10 Dex's dead in their tracks. This woman will NOT be played, and she won't settle for a guy whose habits involve eating whipped cream straight from the can (and sharing some with the dog(!)), being habitually late to everything, flirting incessantly with anything in a skirt, and, especially, sleeping with the wife of one of his best friends.
So....will true love prevail, and give our Dex the kick in the pants he needs to change his life? To go for the girl, and not just the chase?? Watch this fabulous movie, and see for yourself! (Hint, what's missing in predictability and plot is SO MUCH MORE THAN MADE UP FOR by the natural, glowing presence of the actors, and the amazingly funny dialogue. The director deserves much praise for her ability to create a realistic atmosphere and a warm, familiar mood among her actors. Top notch independent film material, this one.)
This is one of the funniest, smartest, natural, giddy, hilarious, classic films I have ever seen! There are so many good lines, I can't even stand it. It was filmed in New Mexico (Santa Fe), and as such the mood is warm, sunny, and light, complete with sunny interiors, patio parties, motorcycles, and desert scenes. At the Seattle International Film Festival, this film had people rolling in the aisles laughing. Rent it, Buy it, whatever... just SEE THIS MOVIE!!
You might recognize its rising star, the cutest red-haired round guy I've ever seen, Donal Logue, from his new Fox sitcom, "Grounded For Life." In my opinion, his skills are somewhat wasted in that series, but no matter, I'm sure we'll be seeing more and more of him as time goes on. Enjoy!
There's nothing in the film that will take your breath away, there are no special effects,and no big mystery is solved. Seeing this movie will not, I will repeat. will not change you life or cure the common cold, or lead to world peace.
This film is a wonderfully witty, smart, clever, funny and warm film about the mysteries of men and women and relationships as seen through the eyes of Dex. Dex, we first meet at his 10th Annual college reunion, was the Don Juan of the campus. He was Elvis. Now, however he's added 150 pounds, and a large basketball of a stomach to the package. Guess what? He's still a pretty busy guy when it comes to women. He's having an affair with the wife of one of his college chums, he flirts incessantly and he coaches his mostly younger room-mates about how to get lucky using the Tao of Steve. This basically means if you act like you don't want to get lucky, you probably will get lucky. You never see people like Steve McQueen working too hard to get a women to go to bed with them, do you? Or as Dex says: "Remember and never forget this: We pursue that, which retreats from us."
Dex doesn't have much ambition. In fact at one point he's accused of being a slacker and he shrugs it off saying: "You know doing stuff is over-rated." He works part time as a teacher in a pre-school. Since he's a big kid himself, he does a great job playing with, and teaching the pre-schoolers. It soon becomes clear that Dex is self-indulgent, brilliant and utterly ill-equipped to have a real relationship with a women. He can impress them, he can tell them exactly what they want to hear, he can please them, but he can't actually relate to women, because of course, he doesn't do a good job of relating to himself. He's not quite sure what he wants, or who he is. He's tried to find out, by reading lots of Kirkegaard, and Lao-tzu and Heidegger and others, but he's not found his center or the peace he needs.
Enter Syd. -- set designer for an opera company that is performing Don Giovanni at the reknowned Sante-Fe New Mexico Opera House. Syd is staying with Dex's good friends. They first meet at the college re-union party, and it turns out Syd and Dex were in the same Philosophy class together in college, but Dex doesn't remember her. Syd seems to remember Dex pretty well though.
Dex's motorcycle breaks down, and soon Syd and Dex are sharing a truck to get them to work. There's an attraction. Dex is attracted and Syd is slightly repelled - or is she?
The surprises in the Tao of Steve aren't with what happens, but in how we get there. The journey is all that counts in this movie. The film is quiet, and simple but incredibly smart. You've not witnessed such a well written screenplay in a long, long time. In fact the film is so deceptively simple and easy-going, you might wonder why there aren't films like this being made all the time. What's the big deal? It's a pleasant amiable little movie and. . . .
Then hopefully you'll be struck by how many times you chuckled at the clever lines, or the little nuances that actors brought to their roles, or how wonderfully paced, and quietly directed the film is. Director Goodman, wrote the screenplay with Duncan North. Her sister Greer Goodman plays Syd , the films leading lady. She's perfect for the role. So is Donal Logue who is wonderfully charismatic as the over-weight, selfish, cunning, but still likeable and charming, Dex. Everything works seamlessly in this film - and then you realize what a rarity that really is. It's a much better debut for Director and co-writer Jeniphr Goodman than say Sex Lies and Videotape was for Steven (Out of Sight, The Limey, Erin B.) Soderbergh. The film is better than those whose footsteps it treads in, beginning with Blume in Love, Soup for One, and failures like Windy City or About Last Night (who's source material, David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago should have made a film as good as this one-but never has). It is certainly not a film that tries to be a Moonstruck, Murphy's Romance, or even When Harry Met Sally. It's comedy and cleverness comes from it's characters rhythms. Even Woody Allen's Annie Hall wasn't as down to earth or naturally warm as this film is. You might even come to realize how the film isn't quite like anything you've seen before, making it an original in a genre you would think impossible to be original in (romantic comedy).
I suppose that might be considered a bad thing by some. The film doesn't go too far to get attention, and it never gets cloying or overly-sentimental. There's no last reel incurable disease which turns the tale into a tragedy either. There are people who want their films to be roller-coaster rides, or give them some emotional tugs and make them cry. This film is too smart to do that, and I appreciated that. What's perhaps amazing is the fact the film-makers have made a film so simple and seemingly done so, so effortlessly, you really do wonder why films like this aren't being made on a regular basis. The reason is, it's nearly impossible for everything to come together so seamlessly to create a film like this.
The little movie that could: The Tao of Steve.
Chris Jarmick
All men are mortal. Socrates was mortal. Therefore, all men are Socrates.
-- Woody Allen
If you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it.
