Review #1028: Real Life.
Cast:
Albert Brooks (Albert Brooks), Charles Grodin (Warren Yeager), Frances Lee McCain (Jeannette Yeager), J.A. Preston (Dr. Ted Cleary), Matthew Tobin (Dr. Howard Hill), Jennings Lang (Martin Brand), David Spielberg (Dr. Jeremy Nolan), Norman Bartold (Dr. Isaac Steven Hayward), Julie Payne (Dr. Anne Kramer), Johnny Haymer (Dr. Maxwell Rennert), Leo McElroy (Jim Sanders), Lisa Urette (Lisa Yeager), and Robert Stirrat (Eric Yeager) Directed by Albert Brooks.
Review:
The movie acts as a spoof of the 1973 reality television program An American Family (aired by PBS), being about the filming of a family in their day-to-day lives, with intrusion from the person filming their lives, naturally. Admittedly, this is an interesting idea that seems pretty relevant for the modern age, particularly with how reality television has changed in the past few decades, for better or worse. In any case, the movie can be considered ahead of its time, although its enjoyability will likely depend on how far you think the film goes with its ideas. For me, this is a decent movie, having a few interesting scenes that make for some amusement, although I can see why it may not be for everyone.
Brooks is interesting to watch in his display of narcissism and egocentric nature, but this can wear a bit thin at times, and it sometimes will make you wish you were viewing the family more than you do. At best, Brooks comes off as right for the part that he plays in the story, but at worst it can come off as a bit self-indulgent (it should be noted that he co-wrote the film along with Monica Johnson and Harry Shearer). Grodin is a bit low-key, but in a movie in which he is acting as a person that is trying not to look like an actor in this "documentary", I think he does a decent job. McCain also does okay, being adept at handling the things that occur in the film to her and her family pretty adequately. The rest of the cast do fine in their roles as well, with Lang (a producer in real-life) being amusing playing a producer through a speakerphone. The parts involving the filming is pretty interesting, and the parts with the executives is a bit amusing. The climax of the movie is pretty amusing for what its worth, being the odd cherry on top of a film that aspires for satire and accomplishes its goals in the most basic sense. It isn't anything too great, but Real Life is an odd standout that is worth at least one look, if one is curious enough.
Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
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