The Tao Of Steve (2000)

Posted by fetchblog

June 16, 2008

In this breezy, blissfully unimportant wisp of a film, Dex teaches the Tao of Steve to young novice Dave (James “Kimo” Wills), who — poor, misguided young lad — still believes that just being himself is the best way to get a woman into bed. Well, that’s being unfair to Steve. In actuality, the philosophy is not to lie about your intentions, but to actually change your intentions. First, you eliminate the desire to sleep with her. Don’t just act like you’re not thinking about it — actually don’t think about it. Second, you “do something excellent in her presence.” Third, you “retreat.” “We pursue that which eludes us,” Dex says several times. If the woman thinks you don’t want her, she’ll chase you all the more. It’s not quite as sexist as it sounds, especially as the movie centers around Dex slowly having to break his own rules when he finds himself falling in love with an old college acquaintance, Syd (Greer Goodman, co-writer and sister of director Jenniphr). He also has to realize that not all women are alike (although, one might surmise from the film, most men are).

You’ve really got to admire a picture that can incorporate references to “The Bugaloos,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “The Six Million Dollar Man” on the one hand, and to Soren Kierkegaard, Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and Elaine Pagel’s “The Gnostic Gospels” on the other, without becoming stilted or precious in the process. But this debut feature from Jenniphr (no, that’s not a misprint) Goodman manages the trick; though employing an utterly conventional romantic design, it tweaks the formula sufficiently, and populates it with enough likably quirky characters, to come across as charmingly distinctive rather than tiredly imitative.

Donal Logue………………..Dex
Ayelet Kaznelson………….Beth
John Hines…………………….Ed
John Harrington Bland…Priest