Review of Defending Your Life (1991) by Jess K — 21 Dec 2009

Defending Your Life can be either the rare inspiring film about death, or the even rarer successfully inspiring film about life. Albert Brooks offers a vision that is so inventive and humane that one can't help but hope it is indeed the "true story about the afterlife.

" Even better, he speaks to the core of human experience (or more accurately non-experience). Typical to Brooks, whose humor is slower and more conceptual than most, the film isn't a typical every-scene-has-a-laugh, instead the humor is gently directed at ourselves and what we choose to stress over (as displayed by which days are shown for fear and bravery), as Woody Allen would if he lived on the West Coast.

Streep is always good but the oft-overlooked Rip Torn is a real treat in this role. Some of the scenes are hilarious while others don't quite land and the end is satisfying although extremely predictable but the concept, the kindness, and the message of the film make it very much worth watching.

Plus, it's all you can eat.