All of Me (1984)

I totally loved this movie, I wasn't too sure of it at first but it was much more than I expected in a move with Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin. I think that Lily and Steve work really well together, I just think that the humor that they give each other is great. I've loved Steve in Sgt. Bilko and both Father of the Brides and Lily does great in 9 to 5 and Big Business, but I really like them both together. Does anyone else that saw this movie think that the two should have done more work together? What do you all think about them?

"You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people?"

Fmovies: Put all thoughts of Sgt. Bilko and The Pink Panther out of your mind: let us remember Steve Martin when he was at the top of his game, an uproariously funny comic with his own special brand of zany physical humour. All Of Me, directed by Carl Reiner, sees Martin starring as Roger Cobb, a struggling lawyer who unwittingly becomes host to the spirit of recently deceased millionairess Edwina Cutwater (Lily Tomlin) after her plan to transmigrate her soul into the body of stableman's daughter Terry (Victoria Tennant) goes terribly wrong.

With Edwina controlling one half of Roger's body, the silver haired comedian is given ample opportunity to showcase his wacky style of comedy and does so with gusto; the result is a memorable central performance from Martin in a consistently funny film that also sees co-star Tomlin on fine form as the lonely rich woman who, in death, learns to enjoy life and who finally makes a friend.

Breezy direction from Reiner ensures a lively pace, the action accompanied by a suitably jazzy score, with comedy highlights including Roger visiting the men's room with a little help from Edwina (tap tap), a hilarious courtroom scene wherein Edwina takes control while Roger sleeps, and a wonderfully silly bedroom scene where Roger attempts to have sex with Terry while Edwina is taking a nap.

This is what Steve Martin is all about - genius comedy. Lily Tomlin is up to the task as his supporting lead love interest. Both put on a great show with a very strong supporting cast.

The basic idea is that Steve Martin's character is a lawyer wanna be musician. He meets a cold distant viscous woman played by Lily Tomlin through rather strange circumstances... let's just say they get close - VERY CLOSE! :) As they hang out together her coldness is shed to bring out a more human side that makes Tomlin's character endearing to him. The entire movie is about Tomlin's character, but Martin shines as the lead role. His genius is evident throughout this movie. (I listened to Willie Nelson's rendition of "All of Me" about 15 times after seeing the movie.) One classic that will endure forever in my opinion. 9/10

-LD

All of Me fmovies. All of Me is one of the funniest of the Steve Martin movies. He and Lily Tomlin are matched perfectly for the zany antics that occur in the quest for her spirit to be united with the body of Victoria Tennant. Watch for the opening scenes where Martin tries to control his side of his body as Tomlin controls the other side. The resulting attempts to walk will have you rolling in the aisles. The time that Martin and Tomlin share his body are filled with moments including her having to "tap tap" in the men's room and him wanting her to have erotic thoughts while he is about to have sex with Tennant. Of course her thinking of Clark Gable does nothing for him. The music and the sight gags are all great. A perfectly crafted film. You will not be disappointed. This movie is one of my all time favorite funny movies.

All of Me shares with a whole heap of wonderful screwball comedies an extremely straightforward method: Employ absolute reason in dealing with the ridiculous. Start with a wacky scenario, set up the rules, and adhere to them. The laughs occur when everyday human nature comes into quarrel with bizarre incidents. Carl Reiner has made a significant contribution to contemporary American comedy, both as a performer and director. Working exclusively in the genre of comedy, his films range from slapstick humor to sophisticated comic parodies of classical Hollywood genres. He chooses to bring other genres to his comedy rather than comedy to other genres.

The plot and its treatment may be light as a feather, but we can relate to virtually all of the intentions of the characters. There is, for instance, the millionaire bachelorette Lily Tomlin, who wants to live forever and thinks she has discovered a way to do that. There is the discontented lawyer Steve Martin, who is distractedly depressed with his work and will do anything to get a promotion, even indulge nut-case clients like Tomlin. There is the wicked Victoria Tennant, who plans to viciously swindle Tomlin, and there is the extraordinarily hilarious Prahka, who innocently expects to transmit Tomlin's soul into a brass pot, and the put it in Tennant's body. There is, nonetheless, a dreadful psychic blunder, and when Tomlin dies, she transmigrates instead into Martin's body.

The second the premise begins to fire off laughs is the second it's executed: the first time Martin has to contend with this foreign female being inside his brain. He keeps command of the left side of his body. She commands the right. They are struggling to cross the sidewalk together, each in their own way, and this sets up a frenzied tug-of-war only a razor-sharp physical comedian like Martin could pull off. Tomlin vanishes into Martin's body, but she does not vanish from the movie. Her reflection can be seen in mirrors, and there is some superb timing concerned with the way they play scenes with one another's mirror images. For another thing, there is a genuine feeling of her presence even when Martin is alone on the screen. And lighthearted as the movie may be, it scores a lot of points by speculating on the ways in which a man and a woman could learn to coexist thusly.

Frankly, even above Martin's masterful antics, my favorite might be Richard Libertini as the indecipherably Indian Prahka, who repeats words he doesn't understand in a tone of complete agreement. Yet, although All of Me is the last of the four Martin/Reiner collaborations, it gives Martin one of his all-time best screen opportunities to highlight his brilliant kind of physical slapstick. Watch Roger/Edwina have a go at walking down the street, or going to the bathroom, or making love with the surprisingly sexy Tennant. Each action is an awe-inspiring exhibition of fractured dexterity. Watch right-side Edwina assume responsibility in a courtroom, as left-side Roger falls asleep and the ever-so-feminine Edwina moves their body in a bizarrely macho swagger. The actor's challenge is hopelessly problematical---Steve Martin playing Lily Tomlin playing Roger Cobb---and superbly accomplished.

Picture the scene... Eccentric Millionairess discovers she's dying, pays pretty young girl to use her body for her eternal soul, everything goes Pete Tong and her soul ends up in the body of a mild mannered lawyer. Hilarity ensues as the 2 dominant personalities control half of the body each.

This is a great movie, & was made when Steve Martin was still funny (remember "The Man with Two Brains"? In that sort of vein of comedy, not the abortive attempts of LA Story, Sgt Bilko, etc, etc, etc).

Great performances from Steve Martin, Lily Tomlinson is absolutely fantastic & Victoria Tennent as the pretty but evil conniving bitch is great fun to watch.

Not the best comedy of all time, but one of Steve Martin's best movies! Check it out just for the court room scene!!!