I watched this DVD last night. Arrived at my house from Netflix, and all I have to do is put it back in the envelope and return it, and await the next movie on my queue.
Anyway, it was a good, entertaining movie. Only after it was over did some of the implications hit me.
The Tao of Steve is protagonist (if you can call him that), Dex's philosophy of picking up women. In short, it consists of three basic parts: Eliminate all desire. That is, don't let a woman know you you desire her, because women can smell desperation a mile away, and it turns them off. So hide it well. Second, be excellent. Do something in front of her to show that you are worthy of bedding her. Third, when she wants you, retreat and let her capture you.
The Steve in the title is the ultimate cool guy, an amalgam of Steve McGarrett (Hawaii Five-O), Steve Austin (The Six Million Dollar Man) and a real Steve, and uber cool guy, Steve McQueen.
Dex himself is anything but cool. He is fat, slovenly and looks as if he smells. He spends his days drinking beer, playing frisbee or pool, and taking hits off his bong and lying to women. He works as a part-time kindergarten teacher. And he gets laid a lot.
When he plays poker with his buddies, they talk about the tao of Steve, trying to enlighten young Dave who wears his heart on his sleeve. They tell him he is a "Stu", the opposite of Steve.
At his ten year college reunion, Dex runs into Syd and the two of them wind up having to share transportation after Dex's motorcycle breaks down.
Naturally, Dex finds a woman who is immune to his Steveness, and has to learn to woo her as himself. What has he got? He can spout philosophy with the best of them. He's smart, he's funny, he's good with kids. And, apparently, good between the sheets.
Is it enough to win a smart, savvy, beautiful and successful woman? I won't give the answer away, but found myself wondering that after the movie was over.
Is it enough? A sense of humor, and brains. And, of course, the between the sheets part. What about the lying, the refusal to grow up, the irresponsibility? The flabby body and unattractive tattoos? Can Dex overcome them and win love? You'll have to watch to see, and this movie is well worth watching.
And I can't voice my other questions without giving the whole thing away.
The movie stars Donal Logue as Dex, Greer Goodman as Syd, and Ayelet Kaznelson as Beth. It was directed by Jenniphr Goodman.
Comments