The Wasteland Reviewer

STEVE! (martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (2024) Written Review

Who is Steve Martin? To answer that question, you may have to think back to where this legend of the stage and screen first made an impact on you. If you are the right age, you may have witnessed his incredibly vibrant and frenetic stand-up performances that sold out whole arenas (or at least have seen some of his hijinks in old clips from Saturday Night Live). You may have seen him first lighting up the screen with crazy comedies like The Jerk or The Three Amigos. You may have found him in his more dramatic films like Parenthood or some other family affair years later in Cheaper by the Dozen. You might even know him from his banjo work and more mature performances on stage with his close friend, Martin Short. Most recently, you could be a Selena Gomez fan who met him as an older gentleman in Only Murders in the Building. No matter how you found out about Martin…there is still plenty you do not know about him.

But how can you learn more about the man behind this maniac personality who took the world by storm? Look no further than documentarian Morgan Neville’s latest work. Neville is a filmmaker who has been able to create incredible documentaries that add so much depth to their already famous subjects. Won’t You Be My Neighbor is one of the best and most beloved documentaries of the past decade as it brought the elusive and enigmatic Fred Rogers to life on screen. Roadrunner was able to deeply humanize celebrity chef, the late Anthony Bourdain. Now Neville turned his sights to this legendary comedian who has been beloved for decades.

But how does Neville tackle the towering life and career of a man who has had so many careers rolled into one? Well…you tell it in pieces. STEVE! (martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces is not simply a three hour plus film that is just cut in half. Each second has different pacing, tone, narrative approach, and structure. That is such a bold decision to capture a person’s life in a film but when it comes to Martin, there is life before 1980…and life after. In the first half, Neville can capture the mania that was Martin’s comedic approach. The editing is quicker, and the pace is faster. You feel the energy that was the calling card of Martin in his performances embedded into the film. But this high energy was also kept a secret. Martin was a lonely and disconnected man with so many insecurities including about his upbringing. The audience feels intrusive.

But how does Neville adjust in the second half to match the evolution of who Martin is? The pacing is considerably slower. The second half is deliberate as it opens with a 75-year-old comedian just poaching eggs. We even get some time with Martin critiquing his older and “dumber” approach to comedy. This half of the film is methodical and introspective. That is where Martin is in his life. Martin is even willing to pull back more curtains to elements of his life that he once felt so insecure and distanced about. The mystery is replaced with a deeper emotional context. This might be a jarring shift while watching them as one piece, but it is a bold choice made by Neville that (for the most part) delivers, allowing for a complex and compelling approach to its subject.

Where else does Neville deliver from a filmmaking perspective? Both pieces of the film utilize different storytelling techniques. The first part feels much more like a classic documentary with most of it being through archival footage. The still photos that Neville found crisp and come to life on screen unexpectedly well. The clips of Martin performing are so well shot that they capture the high energy and incredible talent of Martin. But Neville doesn’t shy away from darker moments that give this section a bit more weight than you might expect. The second half also incorporates archival footage of Martin’s films but most of it is an intimate journey with the man. The second piece takes a more personal approach that is voyeuristic as we follow Martin around his home to meetings to interviews. There is a more “real” approach to the modern section of the film and captures the more low key atmosphere that surrounds Martin’s life today. The film makes you feel like you are violating the privacy of this private man but that is what makes his own personal revelations so much more impactful. There are some traditional documentary elements in this section as well as famous people from Diane Keaton to Martin Short giving their perspectives on Martin’s work.

What elevates this technically impressive film to something that can hit so deeply? There is a rawness to how Martin opens. The first half of the film shows his uncomfortable upbringing and his challenging relationship with his father. Martin’s whole perspective on romantic relationships and prospects of becoming a father himself are shattered by his lack of strong role models in that area of life. His unfortunate loneliness can be seen through the cracks in his earlier years and Neville is able to capture this sadness amongst the success. But it is the second half where an older and more mature Martin opens to the audience directly as he processes his own personal growth. There are major milestones that Martin opens about in the film that adds so much depth to his story including becoming a father, his marriages, and his passion for art. Martin is so complex compared to the manic funny man that so many people thought that they knew and thanks to Neville’s work along with Martin.

Does Neville capture lightning in a bottle again with STEVE! (martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces? Martin’s life is put on display in a thorough and complex way that allows the audience to finally know and understand a man who was previously quite unknowable. Many comedians hide behind the laughs and this journey in Neville’s film is incredibly poignant thanks to the honesty that Martin was willing to offer. This is a towering documentary with plenty of technical achievements and boldness in storytelling (including seeing Martin comic strips coming to life in animation). This will be one of the best films of the year as it lives its achievements in the form of a documentary about a beloved performer still making an impact today.