Steve Martin as an actor is for the most part the rather ordinary looking man who behaves like a raving lunatic. This movie has him do some rather eccentric things, like driving his car two houses down the road to see his friend and rollerskating in an art museum but this time it is played more for philosophical reasons.
The movie L.A. Story was written by Martin and besides Martin there is also a good performance by his then wife Victoria Tennant. The rather surreal way they meet and fall for each other is truly unique to see in a film that is supposed to be a comedy. Other than the love story the movie looks at life in L.A. in a most satirical way and the best scenes are the ones that show the L.A.'rs doing what others might think is a bit shallow like ordering expensive decaf coffee or shopping in hip department stores.
Richard E. Grant gives what I would consider to be his most mannered performance, just watch him in Hudson Hawk to compare, as Tennant's ex who thinks that L.A. is a place for the idiots and Sarah Jessica Parker plays a valley girl who is always spinning and bouncing. The two of them don't have a lot of screen time because there is an enormous amount of material that is shot at the screen in an hour and a half. The film is therefore never boring but you kind of get the idea of: "Yeah, Martin may poke fun at the L.A. but deep down it's all show and very little substance since he is part of it".
Other than that this is a better than average comedy and to say that Martin has had many great roles since then would be a lie.
The movie L.A. Story was written by Martin and besides Martin there is also a good performance by his then wife Victoria Tennant. The rather surreal way they meet and fall for each other is truly unique to see in a film that is supposed to be a comedy. Other than the love story the movie looks at life in L.A. in a most satirical way and the best scenes are the ones that show the L.A.'rs doing what others might think is a bit shallow like ordering expensive decaf coffee or shopping in hip department stores.
Richard E. Grant gives what I would consider to be his most mannered performance, just watch him in Hudson Hawk to compare, as Tennant's ex who thinks that L.A. is a place for the idiots and Sarah Jessica Parker plays a valley girl who is always spinning and bouncing. The two of them don't have a lot of screen time because there is an enormous amount of material that is shot at the screen in an hour and a half. The film is therefore never boring but you kind of get the idea of: "Yeah, Martin may poke fun at the L.A. but deep down it's all show and very little substance since he is part of it".
Other than that this is a better than average comedy and to say that Martin has had many great roles since then would be a lie.