Defending Your Life

Pros: Smart and witty screenplay; well cast; concept nicely realized
Cons: A bit sappy towards the end

Albert Brooks has directed six films now and only one of the six ("The Muse") falls short. I should know, I've seen them all (call me a fan); but it's an accomplishment few directors have achieved. And, aside from possibly the Coen brothers, I can't...

Pros: Very clever and cute film. Surprisingly thought provoking. Lee Grant and Rip Torn
Cons: May provoke uncomfortable discussions about the afterlife.

According to the 1991 film Defending Your Life, sometimes life's best lessons are learned after death. Albert Brooks plays Daniel Miller, a guy who's gone through life playing it safe and making stupid mistakes. On his birthday, he buys a brand ...

Pros: The interesting premise; the acting of Brooks, Streep, Grant, and Torn; the setting.
Cons: It won't make you laugh; it might bother those with strong beliefs about the afterlife.

Story: Albert Brooks plays Daniel Miller, an advertising executive who has had his ups and downs in life and has not always lived up to his potential. On his birthday, he buys himself a BMW with a CD player, and his friends at work give him a stack of ...

Pros: witty. clever. thought-provoking. Meryl Streep. Rip Torn. Albert Brooks
Cons: can be too slow paced for some

In the film Defending Your Life, the afterlife offers a retrospective on what just happened to allow people to move on a little smarter than they were before. In the movie, Albert Brooks plays Daniel Miller. Daniel is a guy whose big mistakes came ...

Pros: Clever idea, well executed.
Cons: I just can't see Streep and Brooks together.

"Defending Your Life," while funny, also left me a little uncomfortable. Whatever your beliefs about the afterlife, it's a fair bet that it doesn't resemble what you'll find in this story. Brooks plays Daniel Miller, an ordinary but ...

Pros: light-hearted take on death, pretty good story line
Cons: Brooks' acting, not my favorite genre

What happens after you die? This is a question that has plagued writers, philosophers, and film makers over the years and one of the few in life that there’s just no known way to answer. The good part about this is that people can come up with any ...

Pros: funny, original, great performers
Cons: maybe too clever, and not wholly satisfying

Albert plays a guy, just some guy, a fairly unpleasant and self-centered everyman, living in Los Angeles. At least he lives in Los Angeles for the first few minutes of the film. While casually reaching over for dropped CD’s in his fresh-from-the-dealer...

Pros: direction, writing, story ideas
Cons: some repetition, familiar, whiny Brooks character

For some reason, Albert Brooks has always reminded me of Woody Allen. They are both filmmakers, often directing and writing the screenplay in addition to playing the lead role. They both tend to make comedies, playing somewhat similar neurotic...

Pros: Touching, thought-provoking, great acting, cool ideas, and an overall good movie!
Cons: It's a little cheesy, but is that really so bad?

I first saw Defending Your Life at the theatre when I was about 14. I loved it then, and rented it the other day because I remembered enjoying the movie. Nothing has changed; it is just as good as it was back then, and that really says something about...

Pros: Great writing and acting by Brooks makes this a standout amongst his films. The idea is original and the acting of Streep and Torn make it work.
Cons: Fuddy duddies will balk at the apparent atheism concerning death and the hereafter.

If your stood before the pearly white movie screen and knew that your life would be judged on the basis of only 9 individual days would you feel confident that your existence would be judged as worthy?

That's the question Albert Brooks puts to...

Pros: first-rate cast, nifty premise, Albert Brooks
Cons: surprisingly mild comedy

In Albert Brooks's comedies, his usual persona is that of a schnook who is so obsessed with being hip that he doesn't realize how obnoxious he is (such as the Brooks yuppie who wanted to "touch Indians" in Lost in America [1985]). But his other...

Pros: Good character development, nice music, and an interesting plot.
Cons: A bad joke at times.

Considering the fact that I haven't seen too many Albert Brooks films, I can't be a real judge of what kind of actor he is. However, based upon the movie Defending Your Life, it seems as though Brooks does have acting ability. The film is mostly a love...

Pros: Intriguing premise, simple love story
Cons: A few groaners

I’ve always liked Albert Brooks and considered him a very funny man, but his movies Real Life and Lost in America were too uneven for me to wholeheartedly recommend them to people. It was with this film that Brooks truly impressed me, a poignant mix of...

Pros: Some funny moments.
Cons: Too much luke-warm romance.

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This review will probably appall those Epinions members who saw Albert Brooks' THE MUSE with me in Chicago that one fall afternoon, but I must tell my story. You...

Pros: Interesting story, good characters and actors
Cons: Might offend some religious sensitivities

This movie is certainly interesting and will make you think about your life. However, I don't think this one is for everyone. Plot Daniel Miller is killed in a car accident and goes on to the afterlife. It resembles present day earth, and ...