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Summary: A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to....
Review: Imagine laughing so hard that your next door neighbor has to ask if you're okay. Sound like your idea of heaven? Then you'll love this film, which includes not just great performances by Brooks and Streep, but superb portrayals by Lee Grant and Rip Torn, who play attorneys assigned to karma "cases" in a suburbanesque purgatory. Look for the hysterial sushi restaurant scene, and a pithy cameo by Shirley Maclaine.
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Summary: Quirky view of heaven
Review: In one of your more philosophical moods, pop in this love story. Be ready to laugh, as the montage one of the main characters life foibles views like an outake clip
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Summary: Inspiration disguised as a comedy
Review: Like several other reviewers, I have watched this film repeatedly. Beyond the wonderful comedic content lies a premise that is both thought-provoking and inspiring: that fear, as Bob Diamond (Rip Torn) tells Daniel Miller (Brooks), "Is like a big cloud....But lift that cloud, and buddy, you're in for the ride of your life!" Truer words were never spoken, nor their point driven home more eloquently and humorously than in this film. At another point, Torn asks Brooks if he had any problems in life. "Sure," Brooks answers. "Everybody's got problems. Don't they?" A beat, and Torn wryly chuckles: "Yeah...everybody on Earth!" This constant poking of fun at we "little-brained" denizens of Earth is one of the film's greatest comic strengths. Brooks' ability to make a statement so funny yet inspiring in an utterly non-religious, unpreaching way is nothing short of masterful. Mr. Brooks, any time you've had a bad day, just come here and read all these ebullient reviews of DYL. You've touched many people with it, and changed people's lives for the better. Thank you!
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Summary: Albert Brooks-Comedy Genius
Review: Love this movie. Adore it. This is such a wonderful film. I have been a huge Albert Brooks fan for many many years and all of the films he has directed are top notch. I would put them in this order: 1. Defending Your Lfe 2. Modern Problems 3. Lost In America 4. Real Life 5. Mother 6. The Muse. They are all some of the best comedy dramas you will ever see...Period. In many ways he's like a non-threatening version of Woody Allen (and I mean that in a nice way-I love Woody Allen's work too)if that makes any sense. *A little trivia for you...Albert Brooks' brother is James L. Brooks director of Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News and As Good As It Gets and he is also the longtime producer of The Simpsons.
Rating:
Summary: Albert Brooks-Comedy Genius
Review: Love this movie. Adore it. This is such a wonderful film. I have been a huge Albert Brooks fan for many many years and all of the films he has directed are top notch. I would put them in this order: 1. Defending Your Lfe 2. Modern Problems 3. Lost In America 4. Real Life 5. Mother 6. The Muse. They are all some of the best comedy dramas you will ever see...Period. In many ways he's like a non-threatening version of Woody Allen (and I mean that in a nice way-I love Woody Allen's work too)if that makes any sense. *A little trivia for you...Albert Brooks' brother is James L. Brooks director of Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News and As Good As It Gets and he is also the longtime producer of The Simpsons.
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Summary: Die laughing
Review: Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks as love interests? Preposterous! That's the whole point. As Streep personifies perfection, wit and poise, Brooks exemplifies tom-foolery. But wait!..they are dead! There's nothing more pitiful than reviewing your life and finding out you missed out (through luck or choice) on some crucial junctures. Let's face it, we're not all born to be Albert Schweitzers. So, loosen up, enjoy and live! Watch this any time you are feeling low or lonely.
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Summary: A comedy for big brains
Review: Released in 1991, "Defending Your Life" is one of those rare movies that is at once funny, intelligent and, yes, profound. Writer, director and star Albert Brooks plays Daniel Miller - an advertising executive who finds himself driving headlong into a bus on his birthday. Waking up dead in the perpetually sunny and 74-degree Judgment City, Daniel discovers that he must "defend" the life he lived on Earth - a process which consists of reviewing selected days from his life to determine the extent to which he overcame fear and lived genuinely as a result. If he is found by the two judge panel to have sufficiently conquered fear, he is allowed to pass on to a higher plane, if not he will return to Earth to try again. He is assigned a Defender (played with amiable bluster by Rip Torn) and must argue against a steely Prosecutor (Lee Grant). During the course of his stay in Judgment City, Daniel meets and falls in love with Julia (the lovely Meryl Streep), another recently deceased arrival. Without revealing too much more, it is sufficient to say that the love Daniel develops for Julia is crucial to the outcome of his "trial". This movie was a delight to watch! The humor ranges from wry observation about the human condition to pop culture sight gags such as Shirley Maclaine hosting the Past Lives Pavilion (a Judgment City attraction in which visitors can glimpse their past life incarnations). The philosophy of the film, the idea that fear is a crucial element to be worked through while we are here, resonated deeply with me. It is fear in one form or another, after all, which prevents us from leading genuine lives - the fear of death or the fear of defying Societal Will ("the Dragon of Thou Shalt", to quote Joseph Campbell) and being truly ourselves, for example. "Defending Your Life" is the perfect antidote to the flood of moronic comedies that have been so popular of late, a movie that will make you laugh and, perhaps, think.
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Summary: Albert Brooks at his witty best
Review: Steven Martin once said that the funniest man working in show biz today is writer-director Albert Brooks. An unusual choice, but an insightful one. Brooks' humor is not for everyone, but intelligent and sophisticated comedy never is. For those who like their comedy a little smarter and wittier than the norm, Brooks is a gem. A good introduction to his work is this 1991 film starring Brooks and Meryl Streep. It takes a warm and hilarious look at the after-life, seen through Brooks' own eyes. This film is far more thoughtful and original than your standard Hollywood fare--a very welcome change. Streep is very funny and charming in this film, with none of the pretentiousness that clouds some of her films. Rip Torn ("The Larry Sanders Show" on HBO) gives a supporting performance as good as you're likely to see. Take a chance on a comedy that actually aims above the belt. Buy "Defending Your Life."
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Summary: Witty and Full of Smiles
Review: Story: Albert Brooks plays Daniel Miller, an advertising executive who has had his ups and downs in life and not always lived up to his potential. Then, he gets hit by a bus and killed. Of course, that can't be the end. Daniel finds out there is no Heaven or Hell. Instead, the dead go to Judgment City, where they go through a four-day trial or hearing, where they have to defend their lives. Apparently, the main purpose of life on Earth is to overcome fears and live to one's potential. If you succeed, you become smarter (you get to use more than 5% of your brain and stop being a "Little Brain") and go on to a bigger and better existence. If you fail, you go back to Earth in a different life/incarnation to try again. This goes on until you move on or "they throw you away". Daniel is a marginal case. His defender is Rip Torn and his prosecutor is Lee Grant. Meryl Streep is Julia, a near-saintly woman who is undoubtedly ready to "move on". Daniel and Julia fall in love, but struggle with the fact that, in four days, they might be going in very different directions (not up or down, but onward or back). Commentary: This is a different movie. It is a good comedy that will seldom make you laugh aloud, but will make you smile a lot. It also has a lot of heart. Brooks is wonderful as a somewhat-hapless good guy who isn't quite good enough (or is he?). Streep is cheerful and joyous; I've never seen her be this human, this real, this light, and this approachable. She's usually a great actress playing a serious role in an important film, but not necessarily someone you'd like to have lunch with. Julia is someone you'd want to have lunch with (at least). Grant is great as the tough-but-basically-good prosecutor, and Torn is glib, polished, and upbeat, but you're never sure he's sincere about anything or really knows what he's doing. Overall, this is a different kind of comedy that makes you think a little. It is well-acted and well-written. No tissues needed, but be ready to smile a lot. Four-and-a-half stars. I'm glad I bought it instead of just renting. It's re-watchable.
Rating:
Summary: "How Many Days Are You Looking At?"
Review: That many? Ooh! You'll have to see this movie to get that joke. For those of you who like a slightly more intelligent type of humor, this movie is definately for you. Albert Brooks is downright hilarious. Not only is his timing and acting ability flawless in this movie, his facial expressions are absolutely priceless. This film takes an amusing look at the afterlife in a courtroom type of atmosphere. Brooks has to prove that he lived a life where he didn't show any fear in order to move on to heaven. He has to defend his life to a panel of judges who will determine his fate. While "on trial," he meets Meryl Streep, who is also defending her life. They fall for each other, but their fates seem to be going in totall different directions. The ride is one of non-stop humor. Brooks is fabulous, and Streep is the perfect compliment to him, but Rip Torn steals the show as his lawyer. His dry humor meshes the movie together nicely, allowing for one entertaining viewing experience. This movie will have you in stitches, and be sure to look for Shirley Maclain's cameo appearance. "Don't be afraid" to buy this video.
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