Real Life

Audience Reviews

View All (74) audience reviews

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 scott m Brooks saw the future of television. Good stuff. Although he should have taken it a lot farther. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review s r Another lost flixster rating. 1001 movies to see before you die. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Real Life

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now