Real Life

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Ben D This prescient mockumentary of the All-American Family in “real life” (literally mocking the TV Show An American Family) had started strong, but took an unexpected turn of producer vs. science and slowed to a grind. The little quirks — Albert (Albert Brooks) starting his walk too far away from the camera, the antiques in his house, the Space Age-styled cameras themselves — were funny details that added context to the low-hanging fruit of the subject matter, and laughs. However, when the attention strayed from the Yaeger Family (Charles Grodin, Frances Lee McCain, Lisa Urette, Robert Stirrat) and the story concerned not what would happen in the “documentary,” but if it would happen at all, I felt swindled. Yes, watching a comedian like Albert Brooks defends his project against skeptical poindexters with charm and wit (the “pee hoarders” line got me) possesses its own entertainment value, but there seemed to be so much left to explore with the family. The more I’ve considered it, the less I liked the ending. Grand can be good, but I bet they filmed a few others that should’ve replaced this fiery conclusion. Watching Real Life in 2023 definitely hits different than it must’ve in 1979. It’s a good movie that should be enjoyed for its historical value (more television than cinema) and a handful of laughs. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Mason M Albert Brooks is definitely my favorite comedian and his debut feature which was somehow a parody of reality television before it was popularized, proves his comic genius and amazing directing. Brooks may be my favorite screenwriter when it comes to endings and this is one of the reasons why. I'm just disappointed that after 45 years of this film being in the world, that we have not found a way to create the Ettinauer 226XL camera. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/07/24 Full Review Alec B The film's merits extend way beyond it's (probably accidental) prophetic vision of what reality television is today as it's also one of the most cynical and vicious comedies ever made. Brooks' performance is perhaps the best and most unflattering in the history of people playing themselves in a film. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review William L "I think you'd be surprised at how much alike we really are." "I'd be more than surprised, I'd be suicidal." Real Life is a legitimately funny half-mockumentary that can't entirely escape being shackled to a drama that isn't half as interesting, but ends up being surprisingly prescient. Brooks himself has great presence and comedic timing as the self-obsessed and smarmy director; it's entirely thanks to his sense of humor that the film stays engaging and tight, poking fun at the 'creative process' and the personalities behind it. Being early in the mockumentary era, Real Life's greatest shortcoming is its unwillingness to commit to its premise, introducing a shaky-cam, amateurish style of filmmaking before forgetting that and opting instead for a more conventional technique in many segments where the film starts to slip away from what hooked audiences in the first place. That said, Brooks does accomplish something that only really solid comedies have done: mixing sincere themes and comedy without making either seem insincere. In Brooks' case, it seems that his directorial debut has only gotten sharper with time, touching on the concept of media being invited into people's lives and taking it over as they 'become entertainment'. Maybe it's more for chasing clout than artistic merit, but the principle is still the same. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/27/21 Full Review Audience Member Albert Brooks accurately forecast the sham of "reality" shows such as The Real Housewifes ... franchise. Seeing the show-biz possibilities of the early 70s pioneer PBS An American Family, he uses science to sort though hundreds of families to find the perfectly average one, the Yeagers of Phoenix, AZ. The show starts off realistically enough with the wife at the family dinner table raging with PMS. Brooks can't help but insinuate himself more and more firmly in the "reality" - up to and including setting fire to and burning down the family home. Johnny C sez check it out - more real than reality shows themselves. Hilarious. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member The best comedy movie ever made! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Real Life

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