Defending Your Life
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Movie Reviews of Defending Your Life
Movie Review: Smart & Spiritual Comedy
Summary: 5 Stars
Albert Brooks is dead. So is Merryl Streep. Can they find true love together, anyway?In a temporary afterlife, where an elite group of brains (led hysterically by Rip Torn and Buck Henry) decide your fate.
If you conquered your fears during your life on Earth, you get promoted in your next life to a better world. If you didn't -- then it's back to that horrible little Earth for you.
Streep, perfection in white, will be moving on up. Brooks, who manages to look uneasy and neurotic while wearing heavenly robes, almost certainly seems doomed to another round on the third planet.
Yet Streep and Brooks seem somehow made for each other. Can he beat the system and keep his new love? Or will separate reincarnations on different worlds keep them apart forever?
"Defending Your Life" is a delightfully heretical comedy, with a gentle touch of blasphemy and many honest laughs. It's Albert Brooks' best movie since "Broadcast News," and he hasn't done anything as good since.
A wonderful date movie -- just make sure you both have some Kleenex.
Movie Review: A movie I watch every time it's on TV
Summary: 5 Stars
I rarely watch movies I own on DVD, but if they come on TV, I'll watch it. This is one of those movies that every time it's on TV, I'll watch it.
I love the whole concept of the movie of moving on to a judgement period after you die, to decide to move on. Very original twist on the afterlife. Brooks is great as the somewhat hapless man who must defend his life's record. The real beauty of this movie is his time spent exploring Judgement City and his encounters with Meryl Streep. Brooks writing is very witty. I love the Hall of Previous lives where one can see what they were in previous lives. One of the best quotes is when Julia (Streep) asks Brooks what he was as they are each watching their own lives. Brooks previous life happens to be a native running from a lion. His answer is "Lunch."
The movie is full of wonderful dialogue, and clever little twists. There is a reason I watch it every time it's on. It's just fun and heartwarming.
Movie Review: This Film Made Me Smile Inside
Summary: 5 Stars
I really like Albert Brooks. His comedy films are so inventive and funny that it makes other comic fantsies pale in comparison. Having not seen Defending Your Life yet, I went out and rented it. I loved this movie! It's about a man who dies and goes to "Judgement City", and has to defend the actions he took in his life. Some of the lines are so funny too! It gets richer and richer through each viewing. Plus, you'll probably end up watching this a few times, because you'll want to show it to your friends.
Albert Brooks is great as always, but it was a joy to see Meryl Streep. She adds so much to her role and creates some nice scenes with Brooks. However, I LOVED the ending. It was one of the most satisfying I'd seen in a while, and it made me feel great inside.
I still can't believe Albert Brooks writes, directs, and stars in most of his works. I hope he continues his creative stretch for many more films to come.
Movie Review: My favorite all time movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I along with my husband watch many movies, but this movie, "Defending Your Life" is my all time favorite. I guess it just struck a cord in me. The usual view of death has never been an amusing subject. In this movie death becomes the ultimate fantasy. Judgment City is portrayed as the most luxurious vacation resort you would ever want to visit. It's restaurants serve the best food imaginable. I have a favorite restaurant scene in the film that highlights Julia's (Meryl Strep's character's) fun easy going attitude toward eating. While spending time in transition waiting for the ultimate decision to be made, Julia(Meryl Strep)enjoys all the wonderful amenities the resort has to offer. Her joy is so infectious that Daniel Miller (Albert Brooks character) soon learns to love her as well as what life is meant to be. This movie is a unique classic. One you will want to store in your collection and view many times over.Movie Review: One of my favorite movies
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite movies...Rip Torn is excellent as Albert Brooks' lawyer. The film is really just a lot of fun, featuring life situation shots from the lives of the two main characters (played by Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep) which are shown, as an impartial panel decides if they will have to return to earth again, or advance to other adventures.
It's closer the truth than many films which treat the subject, and bases advancement on whether the subject has conquered fear...-and certainly it is necessary not to be influenced by fear if one is going to progress...
Sadly, an idea is promoted in the film that people from earth only use 3% of their brain, but what actually counts is development of the inner mind, not the outer brain - still, it's close to something that is true...
Some memorable lines and comedy, lots of humorous insight on the human condition.