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 15th May)

18:00

Colours of Time 15
2h 6m | French w/ English subtitles
When cousins inherit a Normandy house, they uncover a hidden lineage linking them to ancestor Adèle Munier. As they retrace her journey to Paris amid Impressionism’s rise, past and present intertwine, revealing new identities and unexpected connections across generations.

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20:45

Rose of Nevada 15
1h 54m
When a long-lost fishing boat returns to a Cornish village, hope rises for renewal. Nick and newcomer Liam join a voyage, but return transformed and caught in a haunting time loop. Shot on grainy 16mm, Mark Jenkin (Bait) delivers a haunting, mind-bending folktale.

Book here


Tomorrow (Saturday 16th May)

15:15

Rose of Nevada 15
1h 54m
When a long-lost fishing boat returns to a Cornish village, hope rises for renewal. Nick and newcomer Liam join a voyage, but return transformed and caught in a haunting time loop. Shot on grainy 16mm, Mark Jenkin (Bait) delivers a haunting, mind-bending folktale.

Book here

18:00

The Duke of Burgundy 18
+ Q&A w/ Peter Strickland
1h 44m
Lovers Cynthia and Evelyn sustain a ritualised relationship shaped by control and desire. As tensions surface, a hypnotic drama explores shifting power and intimacy through striking visuals and a haunting atmosphere. Plus a post-screening Q&A with director Peter Strickland.

Book here

21:00

Pillion 18
1h 47m
A quiet traffic warden life radically shifts when a domineering biker draws him into an unexpected BDSM relationship. Harry Lighton’s fearless BAFTA-nominated debut blends comedy, kink, and tenderness, starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård.

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 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!