MOVIE REVIEW: Life Itself

Roger Ebert was considered one of the greats, and is considered by many to be the greatest film critic to ever live and an example to aspire to (I'll include myself in that group!). His reviews were often entertaining and always showed a thorough understanding and a love of film as entertainment and as art. Roger Ebert is the man I look towards as I write these reviews and whatnot. Through him countless people and film fans were introduced to some of the greatest films of all time and then some. His writings were exceptional, his civil rights advocacy in the film community and abroad was admirable, and now his life is memorialized in Steve James's documentary, Life Itself, inspired by Ebert's memoir of the same name.

Rated R for brief sexual images/nudity and language

The film explores different times of Ebert's life: his early upbringing, his work with sexploitation director Russ Meyer, his marriage to Chaz, his time with Gene Siskel, and ultimately his final days. During exposition (which is often), we hear the voice of Roger reading excerpts from his memoir. In reality, it's a voice artist who is doing an Ebert impression, but it sounds so like him that it's like hearing Roger's lost voice giving his audience some last words. The documentary is moving in many regards. For those who had followed him since he and Siskel began "At the Movies" or "Sneak Previews," or those who only recently began reading his reviews of past movies, seeing him live his final months won't be a cheery experience. At the same time, many parts made me laugh.

But the film's greatest strength and beauty is its pathos. Above all things, Life Itself is a story of love and redemption: the story of how two alcoholics could break the addiction and find love so close, the story of how a man loved the movies, the story of two colleagues as close as brothers, the story of how two film critics brought filmmaker Martin Scorsese to keep going through hard times because he got loving, constructive criticism for that which he loved. It's a beautiful film no matter what you thought of Roger because there's so much more to it. Roger Ebert is painted as an imperfect man, a man who has gone through terrible times, one who has dealt in vanity--many of the interviewees bring forward Roger's faults--but a good man nonetheless. But that's just life itself, and through Roger's story we can see this.

It's informative but not overbearing. It's personal but not exclusive. It's favorable, but not untrue. It deals with life and death, but it's not depressing. The film shows us that life is more than what we like and dislike (say, movies), but every facet of our existence: love, family, friends, death, disease, and the little things, too. The archive footage between Siskel and Ebert bantering is delightfully hilarious as they ever were, Martin Scorsese's stories of Roger are surprising and shows the impact one man can make, and Chaz talking about her relationship with Roger reveals a side of Roger many people didn't know.

Director Steve James directed Roger's favorite film of the last decade, Hoop Dreams, and Roger was one of the most vocal people decrying that film's snub at the Oscars. Unfortunately, the trend continues as this film was one of the most evident snubs at this year's Academy Awards. It's an outrage that this film wasn't nominated, but alas the film still is fantastic. CNN has been showing it (that's how I saw it) and the DVD/Blu-Ray was recently released so if you get a chance, please see this movie. It may just be the best of the year. As for scoring, there's nothing more fitting that I can give it than:

Two Thumbs Up!

Roger Ebert: RIP 1942-2013