Sick Product of a Sick System

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

What a terrific little gem of a comedy. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have access to all the HBO channels, a benefit of being an only child I suppose. This film would play on HBO Comedy frequently enough for me to fall in love with it. As I grew older and more mature, I began to truly understand the jokes that are spread throughout it and how fear of getting hurt leads up to live a careful life, a life that doesn't achieve its full potential. This theme is layered throughout hilarious clips that are used to review the life of our protagonist, Daniel. Meryl Streep doesn't have much to work with in this, to be honest, but she still manages to shine in a rather simple role. "Did I mention that you can eat ALL you want?"

I sat in a plane watching this thing on my way home. You know, I got the film, but, well ... I didn't get it. I mean it's one of those experiences where you say to yourself "Ah, that's clever, and it should be funny, so why am I not laughing?"Defending your life recycles the what-if-you-die-and-have-to-go- through-some-afterlife-bureaucracy trope that's been done in a number of films before, including a rather famous one by Groucho Marx. But the afterlife genre usually has a gag or two to make the whole experience palatable. Well, like most Albert Brooks vehicles, the humor is understated and the punch is a bit flat because of that. I mean, what can you say about a film about some guy who doesn't know how to defend the decisions he made while he was a live?I'm going to be brutally honest here, I just don't get why Albert Brooks keeps getting projects to act in and possibly direct. Hey, Roger Ebert gave the dude 5-stars when he was alive and kicking out reviews for the Chicago Sun Times, so I must be a Philistine. Right? RIGHT?!Well, no. If I recall the movie correctly Brooks has to prove himself worthy of "paradise", and in order to do that he has to wade through a bank of lawyer like "angels" who'll defend him before the after life tribunal. Pretty clever, huh?Not really. If you know Albert Brooks, then this movie is GENIUS! If you're in the film industry and rely on connections to get your own projects shot, then this movie is BRILLIANT. If you're an indy film maker whose got more talent and better ideas than Brooks, but you're not on the right social track, then this movie is one giant boring snooze-fest, right up to the point where he finds the one "thing" that'll get him through.Films are supposed to be market driven commercial art, sometimes reflecting social issues, or deep questions, some times humorous, some times dramatic, some times full of adventure or some kind of intrigue. But for all of the afterlife stuff presented in this film, and for all of Brooks' "understated" humor style, one is hard pressed to crack a smile at any of the gags, much less reflect on the "life messages" supposedly encoded in this thing.This movie needed a jet fighter dog fight, a car chase or two, and maybe a terrorist take over of a yacht followed by a big fire fight between the Ts and CTs at the end ... but I'm sure all parties involved would be limp wristed if Brooks directed those sequences.Seriously, avoid this guy and his movies. There's better stuff out there that's both livelier and more entertaining.Brooks hasn't ruined his career with any of his flat-graded films, but he's stolen many hours of our lives for the junk he's produced.

Amazingly sweet, thought provoking and funny. Albert Brooks plays an average person being judged in the afterlife. Should he be moved upwards or not? Being average, he's right at the cusp. The problem is, you can only go back to the world so many times before the universe says it's not worth it, and discards you—and he's almost out of lives. He meets the amazing Julia, played by Meryl Streep, and against all odds they fall in love. How will this affect his judgement?This is one of my favorite films, and only after a dozen watchings do I wish there was more. Streep's character could be better rounded—she's a bit more icon than person. But you can't go wrong with this film.

Death. And a small definition. Nothing complicated. Ordinary ingredients. An car accident, a new universe, a man and a lady, a love story as prize. And, more that, Meryl Streep as same impressive presence. A film about guilty and errors in a strange note. Comedy in the forms of childish reflection about important things and regrets, expectations and life leaves. A story about the connections and happiness. A game of sentiments. And Albert Brooks virtue is the courage to explore , carefully, a delicate subject in warm nuances. A Sunday film who may be beginning of small questions. About past, feelings and regrets. And about any Euridice.