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Life Itself (2014)
Starring: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Martin Scorsese, Werner
Herzog,
Plot: A documentary film that recounts the inspiring and
entertaining life of world-renowned film critic and social commentator Roger
Ebert.
My Review and Thoughts:
He was an icon. A lover of cinema and a true master at
reviewing and talking and educating the public on the world of cinema. Some
agreed and some disagreed with his vast array of reviews and his ultimate
understanding of the art form and love of film. This is an extraordinary and
amazing documentary on the life and times of the one-of-a-kind movie lover,
reviewer and thumbs way up Roger Ebert.
I feel this is a documentary that is a must see for anyone
who loves the art form of cinema. Anyone who loves the craft of watching movies
and experiencing them as a personal part of life. Roger Ebert had such a love
affair with cinema. He was the very foundation and the very heart of me
becoming and wanting to review films. I looked up to him greatly. I didn't
always agree with him. He put down some of the greatest films of all time, but
my point is he still had a wonderful educated opinion of a gifted scholar of
cinema personality. He was a man that graced my whole childhood. I grew up
watching him on TV. I grew up listening and reading his reviews. I grew up
being educated by the love he expressed for the art of film. Roger Ebert and
Leonard Maltin are two shining examples of movie reviewers in my lifetime. Two
that I hold on high standards. Two that are classy, satisfying and brilliant in
the craft of reviewing films. When I first heard that Roger Ebert had passed
away my heart sunk and I can literally say it felt like it stopped. I shed
tears. I cried because I always felt he was my friend. I always felt that his
movie love shined off on me. I felt like he was a true friend of the Cinema
world and the art form of film.
I have read every one of his books. His biography. I have
read about his life, educated myself through his countless knowledge of film
and the creation of an art form of the cinematic industry.
He was a true passionate loving man of film. This is a
wonderful documentary on the life of a true movie fiend and lover of cinema
that I cherish. This is narrated by the director himself Steve James. A
wonderful touching inside story that is a vibrant beauty of life and a journey
of one man’s beauty of life and his career and his ultimate sad passing. Many
people don’t realize that Roger Ebert wrote more than just about the movies. He
started his writing career by writing commentary and personal views of news
worthy moments. It was not until his final joining the Chicago Sun Times before
he would adventure into writing about film as an ongoing stable.
I think one of the hardest and most depressing realities of
this film is listening to the ones that are interviewed and hear them say “he
was”. The film started while he was still alive and you get to see him, in his
doctor’s bed, not well, making the real reality of his situation. When he got
cancer and lost the bottom part of his face it devastated me to see him that
way. Not being able to speak and express his love through voice about cinema.
But he was able to type and let the computer respond making it a wonderful
reality for his life.
I think learning so much about this man through the book and
the documentary of the book is an extraordinary and passionate and vibrant
reality of truth and ultimate understanding of a personal and loving and
brilliant man. There is so much this film captures. Ebert’s friends and loved
ones and his comical sense of being. His personal demons and his will to fight those
personal demons give a true sense of reality to the viewer. Seeing him lying in
the hospital bed, sent emotions throughout my body and my mind felt the agony
and pain all over again knowing this film genius is no longer with us.
I feel this is a personal film. I feel this is a film that
hopefully grows and becomes a part of those who love cinema and care for the
real idea of showing and giving your life to the world of cinema.
One thing I really love about this film is it mentions and
showcases the adventure of Roger Ebert joining with the legend Russ Meyer and
writing the script to one of my favorite cult films of all time Beyond the
Valley of the Dolls.
It’s great seeing the images and the conversation on the
production and filming of this cult status and ultimate Drive-in classic. Ebert
not only had a love affair with the mainstream and award worthy films he had a
unique and weird and odd passion for the love of lower class cinema.
Seeing many wonderful movie critics, friends and movie
directors such as Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog speak about their friend and
companion is just a major plus to the film. Another plus was the telling and
history of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel who I grew up watching and listening to.
Both where two perfect critics battling it out and sometimes agreeing. It was
one of the best movie shows ever on television. Seeing two different critics
battle it out was priceless. I think one of the coolest parts of the film is
Steve James showcasing certain movie reviews by Roger and the films he enjoyed
or hated most. Seeing the puzzle given to Marilyn Monroe by Alfred Hitchcock
and then Ebert giving it to filmmaker Ramin Bahrani is truly a magical moment.
A touching and very inner part of the soul comes off in this
documentary on the legend of a movie voice that shines in all movie critics.
Seeing his wife and grand kids and his wonderful smile is amazing.
Something brilliant about Ebert was his toughness. When a
review was made he never would back down. I love movie critics that stick with
their viewpoint and never let one walk over them. I don’t have to agree but I
will respect and that’s the beauty of being a film critic. A film critic has to
stick with their viewpoint and not go along with everyone else because it’s the
norm. Ebert spoke his mind and voiced his mastery. He reviewed films the way
you are supposed to review films. Films are to be reviewed in sub-categories
and also with an open mind. So many critics review this day and age with their
own political idea and religious beliefs. That is not reviewing a film, that
means you are voicing upon others your personal beliefs and not looking at the
movie as itself. To review a film you have to review it as a movie and not a
personal belief. Movies should be reviewed by acting, direction,
cinematography, does the story work, what does it bring. Let’s say for
instance, the movie has a gay sex scene and you personally don’t agree with
people being gay. The movie is brilliant but you review it bad, because of your
personal belief. That's an examples that makes you not a real reviewer because you’re
reviewing and putting down the film, not because it’s bad but because of a
couple having sex that you don’t agree with. You have to review a movie if it’s
good or bad not bad because of your personal political or religious beliefs.
Roger Ebert told you way it was bad and good that was his brilliant beauty. He
explained his ideas and did not rate a movie on personal beliefs but rated it
on the quality of the film and what it brought to the cinema world.
Ebert was a master of words and expressing those words in
vivid wonderful details on the subject of cinema and all its glory. Ebert had
an interesting way with viewing and talking about films. I loved him and I
loathed him at times. That’s the beauty of a movie critic, which is we don’t
always agree. Ebert I feel put down some of the greatest films of all time such
as Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket, Gladiator, The Usual
Suspects, Godfather 2, Blue Velvet. Then he would have the unbelievable ability
to like movies and films and praised such as Speed 2, Star Wars The Phantom
Menace, Knowing (2010), 2012 (2010). That is the beauty and brilliant ability of
a movie critic, not all agree and not all understand.
This is a wonderful documentary on his life and his final
days on this earth and the beauty and amazing ability of how he graced cinema,
his friends and family and his ultimate love of life. It’s a must see beauty of
filmmaking in the documentary reality setting. It shows the beauty of his life
and the behind the scenes of At the Movies. The wonderful passionate and
vibrant and critic arguing friendship of the two icons of Thumbs Up, Gene
Siskel and Roger Ebert. It showcases his love for his wife and the love of
writing.
Steve James created a fantastic film that will leave a prime
example of a personal journey of ones man's love affair with life inside the
world of cinema history. I highly recommend this film of exploration of life,
pain and movies.