DVD Corner

Real Life Criterion 4K UHD Review

“Real Life” was ahead of its time.  

Written by Albert Brooks, Monica Johnson and Harry Shearer, 1979’s “Real Life” is a spoof of the PBS documentary series “An American Family.” Albert Brooks stars as a character named Albert Brooks who is a talkative, egotistical documentary filmmaker who is preparing to film a seemingly average family in Phoenix for 1 year. The family in question is the Yeager Family (Warren, Jeannette and their two children Lisa and Eric). Albert moves across the street from the Yeagers and begins to make the film with new state of the art cameras and psychological experts, but his project quickly collapses when it begins to create a false reality. Worse still, Albert begins to interfere with their lives and puts a tremendous strain on the entire family. 

Long before reality television took over the TV landscape, director Albert Brooks’ “Real Life” satirized so-called reality TV with this prescient comedy. This film was meta before meta was a thing. Brooks perfectly captures the lack of reality in reality programming as the Yeager family begins to unravel while being put under the microscope. He also whips up a genuinely funny story in which his very full of himself Brooks character finds his life and passion project imploding before his very eyes. 

“Real Life” isn’t without a few downsides. The premise does run out of steam a bit, Lisa and Eric get short changed in terms of their characters, and the ending comes across as rushed and underwhelming. Minor quibbles in the scope of things, but they do stick out.

In terms of the cast, Albert Brooks has the best and most amusing character to work with. He’s a jackass showman, but you also kind of like him at times. The best comedic moments tend to come from his character too. Charles Grodin and Frances Lee McCain also shine as Warren and Jeanette Yeager whose marriage and family is on the verge of collapse during the documentary’s production. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? The wonderful 4K digital restoration provides a sharper image quality. Fans will undoubtedly be pleased.

Audio Track: Uncompressed Mono. How does it sound? A nice clean Mono track.

Extras (On The Blu-ray):
* A booklet with an essay by A.S. Hamrah.
* Blu-ray copy
* 3D trailer
* A new near 15 minute interview with Frances Lee McCain who talks about her career, working with Albert Brooks, the character of Jeanette, and more.
* A new 30 minute interview with Albert Brooks who talks about “An American Family,” writing with Harry and Monica, behind-the-scenes tidbits (like his brother’s cameo), the comedy, discussions about the characters, etc.

August 22, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | 70's Movie, Albert Brooks, Comedy, Criterion Collection, Real Life Criterion 4K UHD Review