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 (Friday 25th April)

15:30

Mr. Burton 12A
2h 4m
A young Richard Burton’s talent is discovered by a teacher who changes his life forever. This heartfelt drama, starring Toby Jones and Lesley Manville, explores the early years of the Welsh acting legend.

Book here

18:15

Black Bag 15
1h 34m
When top agent Kathryn Woodhouse is accused of treason, her husband must choose between loyalty to her or his country. Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender ignite the screen in Steven Soderbergh’s seductive spy thriller.

Book here

20:30

The End 12A
2h 29m
In a luxurious bunker, a family clings to normality after Earth becomes uninhabitable. But when a stranger arrives, their fragile world unravels. Joshua Oppenheimer directs this post-apocalyptic musical starring George MacKay, Tilda Swinton, and Michael Shannon.

Book here


Tomorrow (Saturday 26th April)

15:15

Misericordia 15
1h 44m | French w/ English subtitles
Returning for a funeral, Jérémie becomes entangled in a rural mystery of eerie disappearances and hidden motives. Alain Guiraudie’s latest thriller blends quiet menace and dark humour to present an unsettling puzzle of desire, power, and death.

Book here

17:45

The End 12A
2h 29m
In a luxurious bunker, a family clings to normality after Earth becomes uninhabitable. But when a stranger arrives, their fragile world unravels. Joshua Oppenheimer directs this post-apocalyptic musical starring George MacKay, Tilda Swinton, and Michael Shannon.

Book here

20:45

Black Bag 15
1h 34m
When top agent Kathryn Woodhouse is accused of treason, her husband must choose between loyalty to her or his country. Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender ignite the screen in Steven Soderbergh’s seductive spy thriller.

Book here


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 don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!