Albert Brooks’s Defending Your Life is such a lovely and charming film. I’m a sucker for after-life comedies, and I was absolutely enthralled by this one from beginning to end. I loved the way Brooks takes the standard character he plays – usually the smartest and sharpest character in the room – and removes some of the bite to make him a person in search of, not only constant validation from others, but also, the path of least resistance in every aspect of his life. The structure is so precise, allowing us to follow him along on his journey and be with him in his corner so that by the time we see how destructive his habits really are, we’ve grown to truly care for him and root for his growth. Meryl Streep is fantastic – in the hands of a lesser performer (and a lesser writer/directer), her character would only serve as a function of the plot. But here, she’s a fully inhabited character that is essential for us to care about Brooks’s journey to self-discovery. It’s a truly beautiful film – sharp without ever becoming acerbic, hopeful without ever becoming cloying. A truly lovely and astonishing work.