DEFENDING YOUR LIFE (1991) *1/2 As most of us would do, Albert Brooks puts himself in every shot of his film of his script. Unfortunately, though his directorial skills are inoffensive, Brooks is less than a compelling actor, and a long-winded writer with effectively nothing to say. To make matters worse, the most interesting thing that his character does during his entire life appears to be listening to Barbra Streisand sing showtunes, which he does without a hint of irony. Throwing in Meryl Streep should at least add a bit of class to the thing, but instead she seems positively juvenile-trying to put those finishing touches of beauty onto a matted wolfhound. It should at least be some solace that-in the celestial courts-the characters aren't being judged on whether or not they were interesting. Strange, though, that most of their acts upon which they are being judged have to do with money-generating decisions. Is Brooks saying that everything that yuppies do has to do with cash? It's clear that he isn't, which makes it all the sadder that he himself is inexplicably caught within the web from which he endeavours to free his character. I like that he posits a secular cosmology in which we are based on the way in which we deal with adversity, and particularly fear, rather than some universal standard based on demerits, or whatever. Unfortunately, other than placing billboards in purgatory, Brooks has no new light to shed, and lacks the skills to keep our attention even if he did. It's understandable that Shirley MacLaine couldn't let this sort of thing pass, and her two seconds are the best part.
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