Sunday, March 29, 2009

A Focussed Autobiography of a Comedic Craftsman (rated 5 stars)

by Steve Martin

Steve Martin is a funny man, but he takes his comedy quite seriously. In his thoughtful and intellectual autobiography, Born Standing Up he tells his story in the context of being a stand up comedian. Stripping out all but the relevant details, it’s a fascinating look at the formation of a performer who carefully honed an act and persona that seems silly, but is actually a clever deconstruction of the traditional world of stand up comedy. It’s personal and discreet as well as being entertaining and ultimately it’s touching as we get a bit of a glimpse of the man in the white suit with a arrow through his head.

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