Defending Life (1991)

Defending Life (1991)

9/10

Starring

Albert Brooks

Meryl Streep

Directed by Albert Brooks

I just love seeing Meryl Streep. She is one person that can make you fall in love with the person you are seeing on screen whether they are the protagonist or the antagonist.

She brings to life this movie in a way that just makes you want to be Daniel. Her elegance and poise in this movie makes this one of the most memorable romantic comedy I have ever seen.

I recall seeing it back then in the 90s and the scene where Daniel (Albert Brooks) goes after Julia (Meryl Streep) jumping on the moving tram, has stayed with me all my life. It was there she looked at him and said gently, “Hold on! Hold on! Just please, hold on! Hold on.” I just knew at that point she was not going to go on without him.

The movie is not just a romantic comedy, but a drama that deals with the after life and we facing judgment for our every act on earth. It was written, directed and starred Albert Brooks [the voice of Marlin in Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)]

Without giving up too much of the movie, the movie starts with an introduction to Daniel. A man who on his birthday is gifted with a CD player at work and he gives a funny wonderful speech upon receiving it. He takes a step further by gifting himself a car, which he drives off with as he plans to spend his birthday alone. On his way to his solitude, he looks away for a moment while driving and hits a bus. He wakes up on the other side and he is being wheeled on a wheel chair. He is so tired and unable to gather himself to speak or fully grasps where he is or what is happening. He is taken to a hotel and shown to his room, he goes to bed immediately.

Later on he is woken by a call and he gets to meet his defender Daniel. He is informed he is in a place for judgment to see if he lived a full life, oblivious of fears and regrets.

He is like a spirit where he is and can not be hurt or gain weight. He will sit and face a hearing, where two judges will decide if he should move onward or be sent back to earth.

Daniel was not having the best of hearings, but things changed when he goes to a comedy club and meets a lady named Julia.

With an amazing musical score, that just times in with the right notes when the movie proceeds. This is a fantastic movie to watch and I will be watching it again just because of how great it is.