Documentary Review: 'Albert Brooks: Defending My Life'

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)

Directed by Rob Reiner

Written by Documentary

Starring Albert Brooks, Rob Reiner

Release Date November 11th, 2023

Published October 4th, 2023

It's rare, if not impossible, to find a consensus funniest person in comedy. That said, the closest one might come to a consensus all time funniest is Albert Brooks. Few in the world of comedy are as widely beloved and respected as the stand up comic turned SNL break out star to filmmaker. Brooks unites a coalition of comedy greats in the opinion that he is wildly funny, influential, and respected. That's clear from the new documentary on Brooks' career called Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. The documentary, directed by Brooks' lifelong friend Rob Reiner is mostly a conversation between the two filmmakers that is occasionally broken up by an all star cast of comedians praising Brooks.

Oh, and that conversation is occasionally interrupted by some of the most incredible archive footage possible. Reiner, with access to Brooks' vast catalogue of comedy dating back to the late 60s and early 70s, unearths some absolute gems. Brooks was a hardworking comic and made appearances on any variety show that would have him. He soon became a beloved talk show guest, performing stand up routines unlike any comic on the planet, true comedic art projects that Brooks pulled off the top of his brilliant comic imagination. Though known today as a remarkable writer, Brooks' approach to the medium of stand up was freeform and completely unpredictable.

Even before he became a celebrity, Brooks was beloved and ballyhooed in comedy circles. While attending High School alongside Rob Reiner, Rob's dad, Carl, saw Brooks perform at a school talent show. Brooks recounts the bit he did, one fitting of his off the cuff comedy style, and how it left Carl Reiner, then one of the most beloved minds in comedy, rolling in the aisles. So impressed was Carl Reiner that when he appeared on the Steve Allen Show, shortly after seeing Brooks perform, and before the rest of the world had heard of Brooks, Reiner called Albert the funniest guy he's ever seen.

That's remarkable praise coming from a man who counts Dick Van Dyke and Mel Brooks as his closest friends. That's also a testament to the power of Albert Brooks, a witty guy who is not above turning himself into a spectacle for a laugh. The opening of the documentary features a routine in which a sullen Brooks is lamenting his place in the world of cerebral comedy. He swears that he can be wacky and while holding onto his somber tone, he proceeds to drop his pants and hit himself in the face with a pie, all while demonstrating contempt for physical comedy, It's meta before meta was a thing. Indeed, Brooks is likely THE progenitor of meta comedy.

Looking back at Brooks's first feature film, 1979's Real Life, you see not only a meta commentary on the world of reality television, a genre that barely existed at the time, see An American Family, you find Brooks layering in jokes on top of jokes about the nature of filmed reality and how a camera changes the subject, regardless of any attempt at so-called reality. Real Life is a masterpiece, a live wire comedy where no one is trying to be funny but are innately hilarious. Brooks attempting to capture reality while also directing reality as a character in the movie is the invention of my own idea of what funny is.

Brooks, along with the equally under-appreciated Garry Shandling, may be THE Godfather of the comedy that followed. I fully believe that Generation X doesn't become so jaded and ironic without an assist from Brooks' exceedingly dry appearances on Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Jay Leno. His films may not have been blockbusters but his style of comedy, self-effacing, bubbling with rage under the surface, and filled with angst, is like Gen-X comedy in a bottle. Maybe I'm just speaking of my own tastes but take a closer look and you can see Brooks in the DNA of everything from The Simpsons to Saturday Night Live, even after he left, to Seinfeld, Friends and just about every other sitcom of the time not starring Bill Cosby.

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life does not try to place Brooks at the top of the comedy world or argue for his influential space in comedy and culture. Rather, Rob Reiner lays out the evidence of Brooks' influence and invites the audience to place him in a historic context. It's a strong approach and it makes it easy for me to take that evidence and make my own case for Brooks as the most influential comic voice of multiple generations. Just look at all of the people who contribute to the documentary and speak of his influence. Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Judd Apatow, Larry David, Nikki Glaser, Alana Haim, Conan O'Brien, and many more are here to sing the praises and speak of Brooks' influence.

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life debuts on HBO on November 11th, 2023.

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