Albert Brooks documentary on Max

KISS. Keep it simple, stupid. Works well for average folks. Next rant?

That's the dumbest thing I've read on here today, R1. Congratulations.

Albert Brooks is too obscure and highbrow for the trash we have running the show around here now. Concerning cinema, Teacake and the others will respond better to threads about classics like BAPS and Pootie Tang.

Hun, my snarky comment wasn't nearly as dumb as your expectation this topic could create animated discussion.

Brooks himself hasn't directed a film worthy of himself in almost 40 years.

40 years? Not quite. "Defending Your Life" was one of the best films of 1991. "Mother" was a delight. That was 27 years ago. But he's also not what you'd call prolific. He's only ever directed 8 films. He turned more to acting only in the past couple decades. And since "Mother" he's only directed two films.

I enjoyed the documentary. I forgot about many of his films and how much I enjoyed them. I need to watch them again to see if they hold up. I remember loving Lost in America, Broadcast News, and that goofy documentary Real Life w/Charles Grodin. For that reason alone - remembering his movies - the doc is worth a view.

Albert Brooks was among the small handful of guests I would try to tune in for when I saw he was appearing on a talk show.

Sort of off topic but in the documentary, Anthony Jeselnik had a completely different look than the last time I saw him.

Not that I didn't find him attractive before, but I think he looks [bold]really[/bold] good now.

He's very handsome.

Watching the documentary right now after seeing Brooks and Reiner on Bill Maher’s show Real Time on HBO.

It’s interesting to see eras of comedy and the bittersweet stories of under-appreciated “geniuses”. Geniuses in quotes because some of the praise is hyperventilated. Still, I’m enjoying the period footage.

I haven't seen the documentary. Loved "Mother."

Rob Reiner was married to Penny Marshall, who was also a director not known for delving deep into undercurrents and providing alternate points of view.

Debbie Reynolds was MAGNIFICENT in Mother.

I didn’t see any comment from Lorne Michaels, but maybe I missed it because my interest trailed off and I did some chores while the documentary played on my iPad.

[quote]Has anyone watched yet? I am incredibly disappointed.

Yes, OP. We all agree that your disappointment does not seem credible.

You're very self-aware and refreshingly honest.

He should have won Best Supporting Actor for Broadcast News, he was better than Sean Connery who won for The Untouchables.

He had the hairy, masculine alpha-with-a-heart persona that drives me crazy.

Genuinely nice guy.

Not at all my type but I sure fell in love with Aaron Altman in "Broadcast News."

He and Holly Hunter had the hetero equivalent of a gay and hag relationship.

My sister watched and told me that his brother Bob was not mentioned even once? What's up with that?

His brother was absolutely mentioned in the early section of his childhood.

His brother wasn’t funny.

His brother, father and mother were mentioned. A lot.

Very much once over lightly. His breakdown after repressing his emotions for 15 years may have been interesting, but, zoom, onto the next soundbite.

R2, the Liza Minnelli lisp troll and the Vivian Vance thing are both offended and relieved.

He's a second rate Woody Allen.

I know his films are admired, but the documentary clumsily tries to paint him out to be a comedic Kurosawa. It’s really cloying and overblown. I know I can be flamed hard for this opinion.

It’s undignified to plead that your greatness was muffled by “suits” at the studios, a jealous and stealthily competitive mother, and all these other forces in the universe that conspired against you.

The movie Mother was like every Jewish or Italian man’s situation

How does he look these days? The man is 76.

He wears a wig! Hahahahahaah

I loved it and I love him. Never realized how sexy he was in the 70s-no wonder Linda Ronstadt climbed up on that.

NYT: ..."has the easy, amiable air of a career retrospective — wistful and hagiographic...the rhapsodic tone of this film makes clear — breathless flattery just isn’t that interesting, no matter how funny the person receiving it. While Brooks deserves acclaim, he deserves it in a format as compelling and dynamic as he is. “Defending My Life” is simply too flat.