The film of the week this time is DEFENDING YOUR LIFE.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101698/

I have always thought it is much tougher to write a comedy than a drama. Especially a comedy like this where you have to balance tragedy and comedy. There are tons of funny films out there. Some of them like Airplane are simply silly, while others like Man bites dog are dark, and cynical. This one is a fantastic mix of hilarity, and some very touching moments. it is about a yuppie named Daniel who gets in a bad car accident and wakes up in Judgement city, which is a sort of waiting room for the afterlife. By day he must prove that he has overcame his fears and is a good person, while at night he can indulge in anything without consequence. He can eat and never get fat for example.

One night he meets a girl named Julia and falls in love with her. Some people I know have avoided watching this because they think it is a Christian film. I can understand that, but I also don't consider this a Christian film. I'm sure many Christians will like it, but to me it is more about the fear of death, and what we think we could risk if we live a life without cosequence where we treat everybody like crap and indulge ourselves. Albert brooks, and Meryl streep are great in this. For once Streep isn't playing a character which is good because I sometimes feel she can be a bit of a caricature. Here she is natural and charming. You really feel a connection between her and Daniel. I highly recommend this to fans of dark comedy. It is a bit like the book What dreams may come, but a lot more comic.