Film review: All About Steve (12A) (From The Bolton News)

Film review: All About Steve (12A)

5:23pm Thursday 14th January 2010 in Reviews

Running time: 98 mins. Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong, Howard Hesseman, Beth Grant, DJ Qualls, Katy Mixon, Keith David, MC Gainey. Director: Phil Traill.

Sandra Bullock was the undisputed queen of Hollywood in 2009.

Alas, a snow-laden 2010 doesn't treat her so well.

Her complete faith as producer and actress in Phil Traill’s quirky romantic comedy is horribly misplaced.

There is a germ of a good idea in Kim Barker's screenplay, which deviates from many of the cliches, but the execution is lacking and several scenes fall horribly flat.

That said, Bullock has an innate gift for physical comedy and she polishes some otherwise dull scenes, providing a few hard-won laughs.

Mary Horowitz (Bullock) is a socially inept crossword puzzle compiler.

She currently lives with her parents (Hesseman, Grant) while her apartment is fumigated, and they set her up on a blind date with Steve (Cooper), a cameraman for television news channel CCN, who trails after egocentric presenter Hartman Hughes (Church) and field producer Angus (Jeong).

Mary is instantly smitten with handsome Steve and she flings herself at him on the date.

He panics, makes his excuses and leaves.

Soon after, Kim loses her job and surmises that fate is telling her to follow Steve.