Steve Martin: un documentaire en 2 parties

Other than enjoying Steve Martin's performances in a few iconic film roles, I knew relatively nothing about the man coming into this documentary-especially as it related to his stand-up comedy career. While "Steve!" certainly filled in a lot of those gaps, I found it to be "just okay" as a three-hour viewing experience in large part because I found one episode to be pretty clearly superior to the other.

The first episode focuses almost exclusively on Martin's childhood and then ascent in the magic/comedy realms-to the point of becoming one of the most popular stand-up performers in the history of the medium. I had absolutely no idea that he had hit those heights and was truly a cultural phenomenon. I really enjoyed this installment and its ending understandably teased a transition to examining Martin's film roles and present-day life.

While that second episode does ostensibly do those things, it does so from a very scattered perspective. Instead of the linear path of its predecessor, episode two is scattered. Martin's film career really isn't the focus-rather the result of reflections from his creation of a comic/sketch book of his life with an illustrator and just ramblings around Los Angeles with buddy Martin Short. There are certainly some stand-out nuggets in this installment (like Martin's newfound family life), but it meanders to the point of potentially being boring to some viewers. Unless you have a vested interest in Martin & Short sitting around swapping cringe-worthy punchlines, this hour-and-a-half might fall a little flat.

Overall, then, I settle on a solid-but-not-spectacular 7/10 star rating for "Steve!" as a whole. Parts of it really struck a chord with me and filled in Martin's "cultural gaps"; other parts were simply too slow and inane for me to identify with.

2 part documentary looking at the life and career of Steve Martin. The first part, made up of classic footage narrated by Martin and friends, looks at his youth and aspirations and how, despite many challenges, he eventually became the biggest comedian on the planet showcasing his unique brand of comedy. The second half is up to date and spent mostly in the company of the man himself going about his work and life business looking back and analysing his successes and failures.

Clearly a man who now more or less seems at ease with himself, he had clearly been through a great deal of introspection over the years and had suffered from panic attacks, a huge talent's typically bumpy ride with his father and bouts of loneliness and self doubt. His stand up routines and many films were not always well received and he frequently acknowledges this, chuckling it away - you sense though that this does nevertheless niggle him. He has many friends it would seem who all like him a lot, but frequently don't really get him and his private, hidden and possibly fragile persona, with the possible exception of Martin Short who Martin clearly adores and vice versa. A fascinating documentary then, culminating in a man happily married, with a child he had late in life who he loves to bits, stacks of cash and a hit tv show - and yet you feel he still feels there is something amiss. Amusing, in depth and ultimately a bit sad somehow.

Like other reviewers, I'm curious to know why the documentary was made in two pieces, other than the fact that it would be very long to watch in one sitting. In my case, viewing the documentary over two days, it definitely showed how Steve's life has changed over the years, certainly for the better. In that way, it's a very hopeful piece, one that proves how it's possible for someone to become more comfortable with who they are, more likeable, more relatable, etc. After seeing how much Steve struggled in the first half of his life, it's very heartwarming to see how much joy his entire life brings him today. Yes, the documentary is long and there are certainly parts that could have been trimmed but, like a lot of Apple TV+ programs, it feels like time well-spent when the final credits roll. Steve! Is an interesting study of a fascinating human being and certainly worth watching.

I found the first part of the docuseries real inspiring, hilarious and a great look into the grit and discipline of Steve Martin. It was a great look into his genius. I thought the first episode was very compelling engaging and well strewn together.

I found the second episode to be really sweet, you got to know the man behind the mystery. Some great themes were thrown out there into the void. Loneliness. Dealing with failure. Love and marriage. Community. Friendship. Unfortunately none of them were too deeply explored. Left the second part feeling pretty aimless in my opinion. They were just randomly, briefly spoken of. I found myself getting pretty distracted while watching it. It was edited really poorly in my opinion. Lacked any sort of narrative flow.

Being deliberately unfunny hoping to get laughs seems a doomed strategy for a standup comedian but eventually it worked for Steve Martin. The first comedian to fill arenas he then went on to a very successful movie career endearing audiences with his everyman persona. The second part of this two-episode series takes us inside Martin's private life to some extent, though he is understandably protective of his family. His relationship with his cold and distant father, for whom he never seemed to be good enough, explains much of the sad clown he became. A bachelor for most of his career, Martin became a father only late in life. We are taken inside his writing collaboration with Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building as well as his fascination for art collecting and banjo playing. Steve Martin is a wild and crazy (but also loveable) guy and this documentary is an excellent record of his achievements and a tribute to the perseverance of his artistry.