'Life Itself' A Review

Life Itself is a documentary about the life of film critic Roger Ebert. The film begins with Ebert a couple months for his death in his second to last hospital visit and subsequent rehab. It then reaches back through archival, pictures, talking head interviews, clips from the Siskel&Ebert show, and the numerous TV appearances by Ebert tells the story of his life.

Three things become crystal clear about the life of Roger Ebert: the deep and moving love him and his wife Chaz shared, his love of the cinema, and his more complicated but equally deep affection for his life long collaborator Gene Siskel. It is not a flowery portrayal, time is spent on Ebert's alcoholism and his sometimes selfish and biting personality before he met Chaz. Some aspects of his life are underdeveloped presumably for the sake of time. Finishing the movie you get a sense it could have been much longer, such a full, interesting, and influential life this man had led.

Ebert and film fans alike will love this movie. Without an enduring passion for cinema or a general knowledge of Roger Ebert I don't know how the film would strike someone. I'm too close to it. Ebert inspired many, myself included. I wrote a piece last year after Ebert's passing which you can find here.

In the film Werner Herzog puts it beautifully, describing Ebert as "the wounded soldier of cinema." It was a gift to see him go to battle one last time.

See It.