Image copyright © by Marcus Trahan

L.A. Story

(1991)

Steve Martin’s own wacky brand of magical realism, and a love note to the wonderful oddness of Los Angeles. It shifts quickly from outright farce to satire to an amazing sweetness without ever setting a foot wrong, which is quite a dance to do. When he’s on his game (and he hasn’t been, for too many years) Steve Martin is the best comic there is, and he wrote and stars in this one. I sure as hell wish he’d make more like this, and stop with the friggin’ Pink Panther, The Out-of-Towners, and Cheaper By the Dozen remakes, and crap like Bringing Down the House. What I need is another Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, or Leap of Faith, or HouseSitter