All I’ve Got And Then Some tells the origin story of comedian Rasheed Stephens. Aside from starring as himself, Stephens co-directed and co-wrote the comedy-drama with Tehben Dean. The movie follows Stephens’ journey from Atlanta’s East Point to perform his first paid gig in Hollywood. En route to the lucky gig, the stand-up finds himself in all kinds of strange adventures.
Halfway into the 1,500-mile trip, Rasheed realizes he forgot to bring money. So he is forced to live in his car. To scrap together some cash in the meantime, he offers pick-up services using his vehicle. Effectively a taxi driver, Rasheed’s new job is the launchpad for many of the jokes. Along the way, he dances with social media influencers and attends open mic events with other comedians. Rasheed talks business with a store owner.
In one especially humorous scene, the comedian tickles his girlfriend’s feet for an OnlyFans video selling at $400. Reluctant to engage in such buffoonery, a reluctant Rasheed is only convinced to do it because of the huge amount of money. “How much am I getting?” he asks. “$10.” “Ten, ten?” Stephens mutters in angry disbelief. “Alright!” He barks bitterly.
“…Stephens’ journey from Atlanta’s East Point to perform his first paid gig in Hollywood.”
Between all of these re-enacted scenes, the real-life Stephens explains what’s going on throughout All I’ve Got And Then Some in an interview-like format. The man speaks about his boundless ambition, which drove him to this ill-fated voyage to Los Angeles. When Rasheed finally arrives at the Hollywood comedy club, he is again struck by fate — much to the audience’s humorous delight. Will Rasheed ever be able to perform on stage? If he does, will the audience laugh during his set?
Although the movie has its moments, it fails to fully live up to its premise’s promising potential. In principle, the biography of an up-and-coming comedian should be a cakewalk. It should have been a home-run comedy, but the execution is very incomplete, leaving an unsatisfying taste in the end. All of the anecdotes are lazily thrown together in no particular order. The plot’s organization is disjointed and disorienting. There’s barely any explanation, thus failing to set up the scenes or their punchlines properly.
Unfortunately, the technical side of things isn’t much better. All I’ve Got And Then Some is shot in a desaturated, bluish-gray hue. This stylistic choice harms the movie, as it adds an unsettling seriousness to California’s generally bright and light-hearted climate. Despite being the main character, Stephens is the least funny person in the whole thing. Throughout, he gives only a mildly amusing deadpan performance, leaving most of the joke-telling to the odd situations or other actors.
Ultimately, Rasheed is not a very experienced comedian, ands it shows. His jokes are not well-written, and he lacks the charisma and personality to make up for it in the delivery. “I need instant laughter,” he admits in one interview. “And if you don’t, I die.” Unfortunately for our comedian hero, laughter is anything but instant while watching All I’ve Got And Then Some. Overall, this is a mediocre film that is worth a one-time watch but not much more.
"…worth a one-time watch..."
