THE TAO OF STEVE (Sony Classics) Starring: Donal Logue, Greer Goodman, Kimo Wills, Ayelet Kaznelson, David Aaron Baker. Screenplay: Greer Goodman, Jenniphr Goodman and Duncan North. Producer: Anthony Bregman. Director: Jenniphr Goodman. MPAA Rating: R (profanity, drug use, adult themes) Running Time: 88 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
Yes, it's another independent film about hyperarticulate-yet- underemployed guys in need of a lot of growing up. It's also a fairly funny one, following the adventures of a philosophically inclined slacker named Dex (Donal Logue). Though he was a brilliant student in college, ten years later Dex is overweight, often stoned, a part-time worker at a day care center and still living in a communal house with his male pals. That doesn't prevent him from having plenty of success at sexual conquest, a phenomenon he attributes to his adherence to "The Tao of Steve," based on archetypal male behavior with the opposite sex. But his philosophy is challenged by the reappearance of an old college acquaintance named Syd (Greer Goodman), who throws a wrench into Dex's usually simple approach to life.
Co-writer/director Jenniphr Goodman (sister of co-star/co-writer Greer) does exactly what one has to do to keep the "overgrown adolescent finds love" story fresh. First, she gets good performances out of her actors, particularly Logue, who imbues Dex with a strange shambling charisma. Second, she creates sparks between her two romantic leads with appealing situations like the hike and camping trip that shows Dex to be truly at two with nature. Finally, she crafts sharp dialogue to wrap around the provocative central philosophy devised by co-writer Duncan North. It's the sort of thing that could be as talked about as WHEN HARRY MET SALLY's infamous "men and women can't be friends" notion, positing that the surest way to a woman's heart is to treat her with indifference. First dates beware: This may get you into deeper discussion than you'd like.
The result is a love story that's as smart and entertaining as it is utterly predictable and instantly forgettable. It's fun watching Logue's Dex play mentor to a romantically inept young acquaintance (Kimo Wills), but it's clear virtually from the outset that the entire purpose of the narrative is to humble Dex. That humbling occurs during a climax that takes contrived to a new level, a genuinely clumsly conclusion to an otherwise generally satisfying story. It's testimony to the effectiveness of THE TAO OF STEVE's punch lines -- instantly quote-worthy though they're not -- that the film overcomes its erratic pacing and limp climax. And it probably helps to be an alum of the School of Hyperarticulate-Yet- Underemployed Guys to appreciate the minor charms of a film that's equally comfortable tossing off references to Kierkegaard and "The Bugaloos."
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 Tao above-averages: 6.
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