Life Itself (2014)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Thanks for the memories!

Such a frustrating disappointment

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

At this film's outset, Ebert talks about movies being "machines for empathy," and this film was just that. It moved me, to tears and to laughter. James managed to capture the beauty of a well lived, even with only a couple months to work. There were so many little moments that were beautiful, and I think that's true for all of us.

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!

I wish I had half the insights and historical perspectives this wonderful critic and man had. I aspire to write about films but as a dilettante. There are moments of pure joy in one's life. Places where for a few moments we are transported from our mundane existences. When Siskel and Ebert were waxing profound, I forgot about what ailed me. The hard part was that it was only a half hour, but the good thing was that it was only a half hour. This documentary which set out to show a masterful man who was not perfect. He was arrogant at times and inflexible. But who could ask for anything more. This film is a film about love in the face of the barbarity of cancer. It is a glimpse into the working life of a newspaper man. My only criticism is that it would have been nice to see a bit more of the non-Siskel part of the man's professional life. But we are limited to a couple hours, and, of course, there are limitations. This is also about how we face death. As I get older, I wonder if someday soon a doctor will tell me what I don't want to hear. We should not go gentle into that good night. Ebert did not. But he knew when the body that he was given could no longer weather the storms of cancer. I miss both of these men.

There is something surreal about a film critic writing a review of a documentary about a film critic, but Roger Ebert was no ordinary critic.On the surface, Life Itself is a about a man who had an amazing influence on American filmmakers. Roger Ebert was one half of America's most famous film critic team: Gene Siskel and Robert Ebert. Ebert was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, and was also the first critic to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The film tells the story of how Ebert and Siskel came to work together, and the story of their relationship. It also tells the story of how Roger met his wife at the age of 50, and his candid approach to his battle with alcoholism.But this is also a film about cancer; living with it or supporting a partner who is battling with it. Roger wanted to be very transparent about his illness, and so he invited Director, Steve James, to his hospital room to speak candidly about his life; warts and all. James had directed several documentaries about characters in Chicago, Ebert and Siskel's home town, including Hoop Dreams, which Ebert named best film of 1994.Watching this film is not a comfortable experience. It's confronting to watch footage of a man who has been severely deformed by surgery, watching him getting hooked up to machines to give him sustenance because he can no longer eat nor drink the way he used to. However watching this film is also uplifting and inspiring as you witness the interactions of a man who remains jovial despite his physical condition. The viewer sees his determination to continue to sneak out to cinemas to see and critique films while he was in hospital and his desire to continue to communicate with the world. At the time this was filmed, Roger had to use his computer to "talk" to people, but the manner in which he would use his eyes and hand gestures to give life and meaning to a robotic voice is remarkable.Voice actor Stephen Stanton provides narration for excerpts sourced from Ebert's Autobiography, Life Itself (upon which this film is based), in a voice that mimics "young Roger Ebert". It includes interviews with film critics, filmmakers, friends, and footage of the rivalry and bitterness between Siskel and Ebert during the filming of their television shows. His wife, Chaz Ebert, honours us with some deeply personal stories, out of respect for Roger's desire to be open about his life.Life Itself was an official selection for the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Classics, two film festivals he frequented and loved for many years when he was physically capable of attending them, and it is an example of how a documentary can touch you as deeply and emotionally as any drama can.If you love film theory and know who Roger Ebert is, or if you have no idea about who Roger Ebert is but enjoy a good story, this is a film for you. If you know someone battling with cancer, or if you want to watch a film that will resonate with you and change you forever, see this film.This review was published in The Northsider. Source: http://thenorthsider.com.au/life-itself/