All About Steve (2009) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

USA 2009
Director: Phil Traill
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Thomas Haden Church, Bradley Cooper, Ken Jeong, DJ Qualls, Keith David
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: 4 September 2009
Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes

The Movie Review

All About Steve film still 1


ALL ABOUT STEVE
Storyline:
Cast:
Ending:
Overall:

I just saw All About Steve tonight, and I was thinking how amazing the variation in people taste is. This movie here is included in the hall of shame of Razzie Awards as the nominee for Worst Picture of 2009. I thought that I was going to see a very boring, lousy, unromantic, bitter, unfunny romantic comedy. But to my genuine surprise, it's anything but bad. On the contrary, All About Steve is interesting, good, romantic, sweet and also funny. It's even like Road Trip (2000) but without the gross-out or nude elements.

Mary is a cruciverbalist! It's a profession of making crossword puzzles for daily newspaper. Mary (Sandra Bullock) is not a teenager anymore and her introverted personality causing her to not having any boyfriend. Her concerned mother arranged a blind date with a cameraman for NCC, Steve (Bradley Cooper). Mary is initially going to cancel the blind date because she's not very concerned of having a boyfriend either. But love at the first sight is what happening to Mary as she gazes upon the sight of Steve.

However, due to Mary's over-anxiety and hyperactive nature, Steve is freaked out and makes an excuse to have an urgent job to cover story in Boston. Steve politely tells Mary that he wished that Mary could've been there. This mere excuse sounds like a green light to Mary and off she goes on a road trip where she will meet nice friends and colourful people along the way. But could she win Steve's heart?

Sweet and feel-good, All About Steve does not emphasize on the love matter but on the cheerful personality of Mary and how to be true to yourself. Mary finds people who dislike her and even causing her troubles but she also finds loving friends. And in the latter case, the cast is splendid. I often like the performance of DJ Qualls (which is famous for his cross country trip in Road Trip (2000)), and Ken Jeong the crazy dude from The Hangover (2009), and although near-zilch chemistry is what we seen between Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper but that's not the main point in the whole chasing fiesta here.

Of course some viewers say no girls will do that or some also say I would definitely freaked out being chased by a girl like that, I can not entirely disagree. But, at least, Mary is written as a cheerful girl who does no harm to anyone and Sandra Bullock plays the character very very well. Some may hate her character, but probably from Sandra Bullock's part, she's done her share. This is a romantic comedy, and the atmosphere of feel-good comedy is kept throughout the running length, that's why it does not become anything scary-like. Furthermore the editing is neat and the pace is tight. All About Steve is definitely not "The Worst".