The Phantom Tollbooth - Movies Reviews Index


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Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	All About Steve Stars: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Ken Jeong, Thomas Haden Church, DJ Qualls and Howard Hesseman Director: Phil Traili Scriptwriter: Kim Barker 20th Century Fox Rating: PG 13 for sexuality and language Running Length: 100 minutes Sandra Bullock’s film, All About Steve, was actually made over a year ago and has been sitting on Hollywood’s shelf since then. Now, Bullock had a hit with The Proposal and her Steve co-star, Bradley Cooper, was a hit in The Hangover. Thus, All About Steve is being released and audiences will assume it is a raunchy comedy. This is partially true, but disappointing to many for not being able to understand Bullock’s characterization of the lead, Mary, who comes off as ditzy and a stalker. However, if you take the time to look deeper, All About Steve is similar to Adam, a current release about a person dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. Mary has the same characteristics with total absorption in her work (writing crossword puzzles), the inability to break away from something when your mind is set to it (dating Cooper), a mind of minute detail that can be called into play in any situation (falling into a mine shaft and figuring a way out), plus a certain way to dress that becomes a signature trait (red patent boots.) Taking a step backward and observing Mary and the film, “Adam,” the two movies could run together on a double billing. So in this setting, Sandra Bullock hits the target within Kim Barker’s script, and Bradley Cooper as a foil. The basic story has Mary (Bullock) living at home with her parents as her apartment is being fumigated (takes forever, it seems). She writes crossword puzzles to the unending patience of her boss at a local newspaper. Mary just keeps talking and talking. On a blind date, Mary meets Steve (Bradley Cooper) a photo-journalist and is instantly smitten with him, so much so, that she frightens him off. The chase begins when Mary is fired by the paper and starts cross country to meet Steve. You always know where he is by watching television. The other story has Steve trying to avoid Mary and at the same time beat the competition in the news world. His partners are Thomas Haden Church as a reporter who thinks only of himself and their co-coordinator, Ken Jeong. Mary turns up all the time and Steve can’t figure out where she is getting her tips, until he finds out Church is behind it, as a joke. All type of mis-adventure befall Mary in her search for Steve. There is a hurricane, tornado, and then a mine disaster. Mary is gathering friends along the way, though, and they see her as who she really is, a ray of sunshine. Humor is provided by Steve’s disguises, Church’s self-absorption and the general attitude of the media as depicted here. Plus, a man who carves faces from apples for a living (DJ Qualls) and a truck driver who gives Mary a ride when she is tossed off a bus for talking too much. Acting is well done with Sandra Bullock capturing the essence of the Mary character. Bradley Cooper is calm (except when he sees Mary) and has good interaction with Thomas Haden Church and Ken Jeong as a team. They are all on a journey and assisting Mary on her journey to a new realization. Copyright 2009 Marie Asner