All of Me (1984)

Great physical comedy is a joy to behold on film.

And I’m not just talking about some guy getting kicked in the groin, which is about as good as physical comedy gets these days. No, I’m talking about a performer using their body to build their character the way an artist uses a brush to make a painting or a writer uses a pen to write a story.

Steve Martin may be better known for the sillier side of his comic persona – the arrow-through-the-head, ‘EXCUUUSSSEEE MEEEEE!’ side – but the fact is that he’s one of the most gifted physical comedians to ever perform in front of a camera.

All of Me is a perfect example of his work.

In the movie, Martin plays a struggling attorney who gets the chance to make partner in his law firm by handling the last wishes of a dying millionaire, played to perfection by Lilly Tomlin. When he finds her dying wish is to have her soul transported by a cut-rate swami into the body of the stable master’s hot daughter, the lawyer realizes he’s dealing with a lot more than he can handle.

But that’s only the start of his problems. The swami turns out to be as good as his word when it comes to transferring souls, only instead of putting the rich bitch into the body of the young babe, he mistakenly transfers it into the body of the lawyer.

Hilarity ensues, but only because Martin is talented enough to make you believe his body is possessed by two warring personalities. It’s not something you can write about and make funny. It has to be seen to be appreciated.

So why not see All of Me.

Starring Steve Martin and Lilly Tomlin.

IMDB Site.