has a singular eye for capturing the complexities of the artistic spirit. Who better than the Oscar-winning documentarian to take on the Mount Everest of Hollywood geniuses: . The result, Apple’s , is an insightful film split down the middle in stylistically distinct chapters.
Part one traces Martin’s path to “wild and crazy” comedy superstardom; part two covers his decision to step away from touring and into movies, playwriting, art and quiet self-exploration. Neville, Emmy-nominated for directing for a documentary/nonfiction program, spoke to about the daunting task of capturing someone as complex and worshiped as Martin in a little over three hours. It was silly, but it was smart.
I didn’t get every joke. My dad loved Steve, too. I got him to drive me to see Steve in Las Vegas doing stand-up when I was 12.
It was one of his last stand-up shows, at the Riviera in the summer of ’80. When this doc came up, I was like, “There’s no more perfect topic for me than Steve.” The person I meet when I start the film is just Steve.
It’s not “Steve Martin,” the superstar. From the beginning, Steve was like, “OK, if I’m going to do this, I’m really going to do it.” We started by having these conversations where I went to his house and recorded us talking for hours.
You’re also building a relationship and I’m understanding how he sees his own story and everything else. But the fan part of it doesn’t totally go away because occasionally you’re like, .