Life Itself (2014)

In 2013, a bright light went out in the world. Someone who very early on inspired me to not only enjoy watching movies, but to be excited by them. Someone who taught me that nearly anyone could participate in film analysis and pass some amount of judgment (good or bad) about the films I watch. He was Roger Ebert.I loved to see him spar with Richard Roeper in the early 2000's on movies as inconsequential as Death to Smoochy. Clearly, Ebert put his heart on his sleeve when it came to most films and it offended him the most when a film wasted his time. On the other hand, when he adored a film, his praise was simply poetic. He had a way with words, man.. and he knew a good film when he saw one. If Ebert said to go see it, I would usually follow suit. His criticism was astute, meaningful and 9 times out of ten, summed up what he just watched in the most precise way.Life Itself honors him in the way he should've always been honored. Someone far beyond your average, pompous film critic. An average midwestern guy who loves a good flick, but smart enough to have received a Pulitzer Prize. Such a common man's film critic, he might as well have stood on a soapbox outside the theater he attended in Chicago to profess his feelings. Life Itself articulates the anger we all felt when he lost the ability to speak. We see Roger struggle to live any kind of peaceful life, having to constantly go to the hospital for physical therapy. Filmed just a few months prior to his death, it is difficult and angering to watch him suffer. One must wonder, had Roger been able to speak, what would he say? Had his life turned into one of those bad movies he's reviewed in his lifetime?But what will never change from Ebert is his profound affect on the film industry and how fellow filmmakers revered him, even though he may have maligned their films when he felt it was necessary. There's really something to be said about that. Thumbs way, way up.

Now admittedly, I was not very familiar with Roger Ebert's work or career until right before I watched this film; I actually was surprised to learn that he had passed away, due to the fact that I still see reviews from his website everywhere. My only real knowledge of him was that he was essentially the go-to film critic, and the primary face of film criticism. But after watching this film, I don't feel like I know every single bit and piece of the man's work, and because of that I feel like this movie did exactly what it wanted to do, for better or for worse. "Life Itself" strikes the perfect balance between informing the viewer on its subject while still not spoon feeding the viewer; we aren't given every little detail of Ebert's life, but a flowing narrative that informs us on his character and his career. This movie serves more it seems as a visual companion piece of his autobiography, as many excerpts from it are used in the film, and in that regard I think it really works very well. This film never paints Ebert as perfect, but it always shows the right balance of sympathy and realism to really feel like Roger Ebert as a person is encapsulated well in this film. This movie isn't about a movie critic as much as it's about a man's life. A man who just happened to have a deep passion for film criticism. And ultimately, this film does an excellent job of representing a man whose impact on the realm film criticism very well, albeit with the occasionally pacing issue or interview that feels a little unnecessary. Overall, I can definitely recommend "Life Itself" to any movie fan. 8.7/10

I was familiar with Roger Ebert from his various review programs and prolific writing, but I knew little about his life and history before watching this film. What a story!His struggles and weaknesses and life-experiences clearly did much to shape his worldview and now, in retrospect, I can see how all those things impacted his writing and reporting on film.This film does a great job of following Mr. Ebert's journey through life and the unflinching way it captures his battle at the end, facing death, was astonishing, painful, and ultimately inspiring.Two thumbs up, indeed!

Just got through watching this documentary of Roger Ebert's life and career on Netflix disc. Covering his beat at the Chicago Sun-Times, his TV appearances with rival Chicago Tribune movie critic Gene Siskel, and his final days incapacitated by health concerns with his wife Chaz by his side every step of the way, one gets touched by his determination-and sometimes dread-at what he went through and also how he always kept his sense of humor throughout all the ordeals. I suppose one could feel a little disappointed at no interview of the late Siskel's replacement, Richard Roeper, or even a mention of him but what is included should certainly be enough for anyone interested in the way Ebert lived. Anyway, anyone wanting to know more about this fascinating man's life should probably check out his memoir with the same title as this movie. So on that note, I highly recommend Life Itself.