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To mark the release of the two part Steve Martin documentary, available now on Apple TV, here is my own little retrospective on his Hollywood career. The aforementioned films by Moran Neville, who also made the celebrated Mr. Rogers doc Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, centres first on Martin’s rollercoaster road to cinema with his divisive but revolutionary stand up act and then in its second instalment follows the man himself as he looks back on his film career. Also featured is Martin’s influential relationship with his father, his marriages, his friendship and partnership with Martin Short, his passion for collecting art and the other aspects of his work. This last aspect is pertinent when you consider that my own list following below does not actually include anything after 1997. Rather than suggesting though that he, as put forward in the famous but mean spirited Denis Pennis interview clip (included in part two), is not funny anymore, it shows that he has explored other methods of creative expression. Also Only Murders in the Building, his currently running TV show, is great.

Also worthy of mention is that the highest movie on my list doesn’t contain Steve Martin’s best performance, but is the best film he is in. His appearance here is interesting though as he is both funny and horrifying, which is a tricky balance he has played with in other projects. He is not a bad guy by any stretch in Planes, Trains and Automobiles but he is angry and often unkind yet never loses the audience’s sympathy. There is skill in this that not all actors possess and it is indicative of an acting prowess he is not often credited with. Then of course there are Martin’s two very different portrayals of con men in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Spanish Prisoner, the latter of which showcases his rarely discussed dramatic skills (there is Leap of Faith in this little career subset as well of course but that does not make the list).

I recommend the documentary, it is endearing and in the second film Martin proves to be good company. It isn’t as moving or essential as last year’s Michael J. Fox movie Still, or as sweet as Robert Downey Jr.‘s study of his father Sr. and it doesn’t contain any hidden truths like Robin’s Wish, the film about the work and last days of Robin Williams, but it is an engaging document of a highly singular personality who has made some very entertaining movies.

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