Defending Your LifePG

Directed by Albert Brooks | USA | 1991 | 1h 51m | Starring Starring Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Michael Durrell, James Eckhouse

An acerbic LA advertising executive dies in a car accident and is sent to Judgement City, a purgatory where he must defend his actions on Earth in order to ascend to a higher plane of existence. Albert Brooks finds a perfect balance between satirical bite and romantic-comedy charm as the writer, director, and star of this wonderfully imaginative existential fantasy.

Our screening on Friday 1 July will be introduced by comedian Matthew Chadourne, part of the Oxford Comedy Festival.

Reviews

‘The movie is funny in a warm, fuzzy way, and it has a splendidly satisfactory ending, which is unusual for an Albert Brooks film.’
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Defending Your Life between July 1, 2022 and July 4, 2022.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 16th March)

17:45

Cléo from 5 to 7 PG
1h 31m | French w/ English subtitles
While awaiting life-changing medical results, a pop singer wanders Paris, encountering strangers and herself anew. Agnès Varda’s intimate New Wave classic captures fleeting moments, female subjectivity, and 1960s Paris, lifted by Michel Legrand’s unforgettable music.

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20:00

Another World 15
1h 51m | Cantonese w/ English subtitles
A spirit guide tasked with leading souls to reincarnation meets a troubled girl whose anger has unleashed a world-threatening curse. As he helps her confront her pain, they embark on a perilous journey in this award-winning Hong Kong animated fantasy.

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Tomorrow (Tuesday 17th March)

17:45

Little Amélie PG
French w/ English Subtitles
1h 18m
Animated tale following Belgian toddler Amélie growing up in post-WWII Japan. With companion Nishio-san, she discovers everyday wonders as her third birthday marks a pivotal change. Nominated for Best Animation at this year’s Academy Awards.

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19:45

The Secret Agent 15
£6 for Members
2h 41m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Carnival, communal resistance, political tensions, and a man's missing leg collide in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s slow-burning 1970s political thriller. The Oscar-nominated Wagner Moura stars in this gripping examination of Brazil’s turbulent past.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!