Albert Brooks: Defending My Life

A documentary about the career of the comedian and actor Albert Brooks. At its centre is one long conversation: Rob Reiner directs and conducts the interviews himself. The two have been friends since Beverly Hills High School, and by the time of filming the friendship was approaching sixty years. The film runs largely as that conversation between old friends, starting from Brooks's show business family and following a career across decades. It premiered at AFI Fest on 26 October 2023 and aired on HBO on 11 November 2023, later arriving on HBO Max. Ninety-seven percent of 32 Rotten Tomatoes reviews are positive with an 8.3 average. Metacritic sits at 74 from seven reviews. Matt Zoller Seitz at RogerEbert.com gave it three and a half stars and wrote that it would work for longtime fans and for people who do not know Brooks at all. Who it is for: viewers interested in the history of American comedy and anyone who knows Brooks's films. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a critical portrait. This is a celebration made by a friend and it asks no hard questions.