Image via Apple TV/A24
For fans of comedy Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces is essential viewing. With a combined running time of 3 hours plus, this evocative travelog immerses audiences into every aspect of his life to discover what lies beneath this wild and crazy guy.
Pulling together unseen recordings to provide a rare look behind the curtain of this certified comedy legend, Steve (martin) proves the perfect balance between enlightened character study and retrospective career lesson in laughter. Featuring friends and family engaged in intimate recollections, Oscar winning documentarian Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom) breaks through the industry armour of this consummate professional to reveal a man of complexity.
Image via Apple TV/A24
What comes through beyond his innocence and wonder at having made it this far, is a staggering work ethic that stems from an emotionally barren upbringing. Lacking the conventional validation of a nurturing family, Steve Martin sought solace at Disneyland amongst the magicians. Captivated by their ability to entertain and equally enthralled by 60s comedians like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin, he became a student of comedy in the literal sense. Perfectly timed pratfalls, logic based one-liners and a taste for Avante Garde streams of consciousness making him unique.
In a time when the label of alternative comedian had yet to be coined, Steve Martin existed out there on his own waiting for others to catch up. Serendipity caused him to brush shoulders with Oscar winning blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, absorbing all the intellectual inspiration that company might present, which went on to influence his outlook on life in other respects.
Image via Apple TV/A24
What Morgan Neville has managed to do here is capture an extremely fastidious artist off guard and in the wild. Seven decades on and Steve Martin remains inquisitive about life and making people laugh. There is a genuine heartfelt friendship that comes through between himself and Martin Short, as they bounce lines off each other before launching their comedy barbs.
Stock footage harks back to a time when Steve Martin played to tens of thousands of fans, capturing hearts and minds through his own unique brand of physical comedy. People were reminded that being silly against the backdrop of Vietnam and civil rights unrest was acceptable. His transition from comedy icon to Hollywood actor is also explored in some detail as peaks and troughs in a chequered career are laid bare for the sake of genuine curiosity.
Image via Apple TV/A24
In conversation on camera, he remains relaxed and pragmatic about the early 80s when his star was rising. From The Jerk through to Parenthood and beyond, he never avoids facing failures or discussing the reasons why some projects simply flopped. As Only Murders in the Building moves into its fourth season, there is a sense of wonder as to what this writer, performer and mean banjo player might do next. With the world at his fingertips and a hit show on Disney+ when other actors might be quietly retiring, Steve Martin shows no signs of slowing down.
Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces is available from 29 March on AppleTV+