Mr. Reiner presented him with an idea he later couldn’t resist, recreating the 1981 film “My Dinner With Andre”, structuring the documentary around a lunch in which they swap anecdotes and punchlines, as they explore the origins and evolution of Mr. Brooks’ career.
“Because I’ve known Rob forever, it seemed ideal. We could do our lunch, we could branch out, he could talk to people he chose to talk to,” said Mr. Brooks.
He noted that the experience proved even more impactful when he could actively be involved in the process, as a number of times documentaries are made posthumously.
“There’s a million documentaries made, and the majority of them probably are people that aren’t living anymore. And then those that are living, they’re all done with the subject and people talking about them. But the filmmaker never really gets involved,” said Mr Brooks.
Mr. Reiner, a lifelong friend of Mr. Brooks, directed the documentary that opens up about his life and career, from stand-up to his several original motion pictures.
“And then I'd never seen anything done like that before, to do a documentary about a person’s life and career done in that manner, where you have this kind of centerpiece of this friendship that goes back to 60 years,” said Mr. Reiner.
He credits the success of the film to the comfort level between the two, being able to tell the story of Mr. Brooks’ career and personal life in a manner that was funny but didn’t feel like an interview.
“To tell the story of not only Albert’s career, but his personal life. And I think that just the fact that we’ve been friends for so long, he felt comfortable to be able to talk about those things. And I think we struck a great balance between his brilliant career and his personal life,” said Mr. Reiner.
“It shows the struggles that he’s had, his entire career, but it also shows the struggles that he’s had with his life … it tells a story and it blends, my favorite kind of movies, it blends great humor and great emotion,” he continued.
The two met while in a Beverly Hills high school drama class over 60 years ago, with Mr. Reiner calling that 16-year-old kid the “funniest person he knew.”
Much like the ever-changing times we are in, the comedy industry has seen a shift, although Mr. Brooks continued to trust his own instincts throughout his career.
He was never a fan of improv or comedy clubs, and while for others it deemed successful, Mr. Brooks would spend time workshopping his talent and late-night appearance material before a mirror prior to stepping on camera.
“I worked it out at home by myself. I would go into the bathroom because there was a big mirror, and at least I could look at someone laughing, even if it was me. But you know, I worked it out … to this day, I’ve never tried out anything in front of an audience before the real audience.”
Throughout his career, Mr. Brooks was a regular on late-night talk shows such as “The Tonight Show: Starring Johnny Carson,” and he misses the authenticity of it all.
Further, Mr. Brooks believes social media has made a grave impact on how people voice their opinions. He says he would not have had a career had his jokes and opinions constantly been under attack.
The comedian, actor and writer is best known for his work in “Drive (2011)”, “Defending Your Life (1991)”, and “Broadcast News (1987)” for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
