American independent cinema quarter of century ago provided something mainstream Hollywood had forgotten or was unwilling to make – films that were more personal, intimate and authentic. One example can be found in The Tao of Steve, 2001 romantic comedy directed by Jenniphr Goodman.
The protagonist, played by Donal Logue, is Dex, 30-something man from Santa Fe, New Mexico, whose outward appearance would give impression of a loser. Ever since finishing college, he failed to get a steady job, car, home or anything except beer belly. Yet, despite all that, Dex has extraordinarily success with women. He explains it to his friends by applying his own brand of Taoist philosophy according to which he must treat potential romantic conquests by denying actual interest in them. Dex’s formula, however, fails him when he reunites with Syd (played by Greer Goodman), an old friend with whom he falls desperately in love.
Jenniphr Goodman began the work on The Tao of Steve after returning to her native Santa Fe following graduation at New York University’s film school. She and her husband shared home with Duncan North, an old friend who actually served as an inspiration for character of Dex. She and North began developing the script and their effort was joined by Jenniphr’s sister Greer, who would ultimately play character of Syd. As a result, The Tao of Steve has a lot of authenticity, which is underlined with the use of actual Santa Fe locations. The greatest asset of the film is Donal Logue, Canadian actor who was, until that time, almost exclusively playing supporting or character roles. Logue used the rare opportunity to actually star in a film with gusto, resulting in very effective performance that earned him Special Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival. The rest of cast and crew also worked well and The Tao of Steve, despite predictable plot, has enough charm, humour and keen social and cultural observations to earn recommendation even for viewers who aren’t that fond of romantic comedies or independent cinema.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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