# Tao of Steve, The (2000)

### reviewed by
Michael Redman

    The Tao Of Steve
    A film review by Michael Redman
    Copyright 2000 by Michael Redman

    *** (out of ****)

Human mating rituals have to be the most fascinating aspect of existence. There is no other activity man (or woman) kind spends so much energy planning and agonizing over and no other one that makes us look so ridiculous. "America's Funniest Home Videos" has nothing on 3:00 am at the local bars.

Dex (Donal Logue) has it all figured out. He's an overweight slacker who dresses funny; has never had a good hair day; spends his days smoking American Spirits, drinking beer and playing frisbee golf and was born to bed the babes. He's the guy who for no apparent reason is inexplicably irresistible to the fairer sex.

Our pudgy lothario's secret is a mixture of self-serving eastern philosophy ("Be desireless: if you don't want to get laid, you _will_ get laid") and the "Tao Of Steve" (McGarrett, Austin and McQueen). Within moments of the film's beginning, he has had his way with a friend's wife in the library stacks and convinced a young college woman that the true path to enlightenment lies in his bed.

But, and as Peewee Herman says, "We all have big buts," it all comes to a screeching halt when he falls for Syd (Greer Goodman) who is impervious to his charms.

The turning point in the film comes when they discuss Kierkegaard's opinion of "Don Giovanni" who slept with hundreds of women because he was afraid that not one would actually love him. Dex's feigned detachment works with the hundreds, but he has to search for something deeper for the one.

A witty and occasionally hilarious small film, Jenniphr Goodman's debut directoral outing is a prize. The Sundance favorite isn't perfect: Dex's scenes with his roommates and poker buddies border on the tedious. But the screen time with him and Syd is charming and the mismatched lovers ooze with chemistry.

    And that's what it's all about.

[Michael Redman has written film reviews in town for an exceptionally long time and has to admit to some suspicions when his editor asked him to write about a guy in weird clothes with unruly hair and his attitudes towards women. Email clues to redman@bluemarble.net.]

[The appeared in the 10/19/2000 "Bloomington Independent", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be contacted at redman@bluemarble.net.]

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