User Reviews

Above all, Life Itself is a love story. It didn't matter who it was about, it ends as a love story about dealing with mortality. You can imagine that Roger Ebert would've been proud to have been at the centre of such a heartbreaking and inspirational story. Steve James' documentary opens on Ebert's reason for loving cinema. It's about learning empathy for those sharing this journey of life with us. It's something that Life Itself certainly does for Ebert. I never knew much about him before his death. I live in England so I never even heard of him until I found the internet and then he was only a name or the picture on his old website. He was someone people loved to bring up whether to agree or disagree with his opinions. I don't think I even read one of his reviews until after he died, all I knew where his Oscar predictions and the fact he claimed Synecdoche, New York the best of the decade.

And so, Life Itself gives me my first glimpse of the brotherhood between Siskel & Ebert. Before the film becomes a love story of Ebert and his wife Chaz, it's a love story between two men. The film takes their most electric moments and it fills you with the fiery passion for cinema, something that's too easily diluted over time. The film's montages are full of a warm energy, and they're wonderful to watch, even if the storyline can be a little muddled. You wonder on why they focus on certain details at particular points, but the reasons emerge. It's difficult to see Ebert in his last months with his jaw skin drooping, but his smile beams through and it's great to see such an attitude. At its best the film is pure poetry, and the tributes at the end made me weep. Accepting death brings a wind of peace. I wish it had more structure so it could be a favourite, but it's powerful stuff as it is. Very revealing documentary that digs comfortably into a deeply personal vulnerable spot.

8/10

It's pretty brave to name a movie Life Itself. The title alone suggests that the film will provide insight into the weird, unquantifiable, enormous, and very human experience that constitutes… well, life itself. It's even braver considering that the film is actually about a film critic: hardly the most scintillating or important of celebrities, in the Hollywood scheme of things. And yet, this documentary on the life, death and many things in between of pre-eminent American film critic Roger Ebert comes powerfully close to doing its title justice. In narrowing its focus to one human being and his share of triumphs and travails, Life Itself touches on something deeply universal.

For those completely unacquainted with Ebert, Life Itself serves as a useful introduction to America's most recognisable film critic. Even for those who knew of him through his reviews or had some information about the cancer that took his jaw away from him several years ago, the documentary offers plenty of fresh insight into the man himself.

Close friends share their memories of Ebert from his youth, remembering how he made tough professional calls even as the editor of his college newspaper. We watch as he and his collaborator and frenemy, Gene Siskel, become the most popular faces of film criticism in the US. And the camera brings us – oftentimes relentlessly – into the final months of his life, as Ebert trades e- mails (ranging from chirpy to despondent in tone) with director Steve James and struggles through a particularly punishing bout of physiotherapy.

Through it all, a portrait of Ebert emerges – one made all the more impactful because James deftly avoids turning his film into a hagiography. Ebert's sharp wit, intelligence and passion for the movies shine through. But so does his tendency to be petty and competitive over the screen time and fame he must share with Siskel. His love story with his wife Chaz is coloured in by as much joy as tragedy, and James does not shy away from depicting the more banal, dignity-sapping aspects of Ebert's life as a cancer victim.

And yet, what makes Life Itself – based on and named after Ebert's memoirs – so compelling is its subtle conclusion: that we can all choose to be the heroes of our own stories, however small, ordinary or painful they might be. Ebert may not be fighting dragons or fording streams, but he demonstrates superhuman courage whenever he tries to drag his uncooperative body up a flight of steps. This is a hero who gets crotchety, fretful, and sarcastic – the kind of hero who's trapped in his body and forced to communicate through scribbling or notepads or an electronic voice-box, but still manages to reach out with his words and his hope, hanging onto himself and sharing his passion for cinema with film-makers and audiences alike. It's the stuff that movies are far too frequently not made of, and it's the most fitting legacy for a man who spent his life loving them.

I started watching this and almost could not continue. I found the pictures of Roger after his surgery to be quite upsetting. Seeing his lower jaw hanging open with no teeth, or even a lower jaw was disturbing but it was worth it getting past that.

This is another great movie that many people have not seen or even heard of, a hidden gem. It tells the amazing story of Roger's life, his successes, his demons, his challenging relationship with Gene Siskel and his amazing wife who he married later in life. The scenes with his wife and grandchildren are especially touching. This is a film of great joy and hope. Life is tough, but love will help us through.

As someone who literally grew up at the movies--my mother took me to anything and everything from my infancy right through my early childhood, until I was old enough to go by myself--my love for and fascination with film is deeply entrenched in my way of thinking, my way of writing, my way of viewing life. And Roger Ebert (with Gene Siskel) was a vital discovery, someone whose opinions were always worth hearing (or reading); someone whose love for film and his way of thinking about it seemed to legitimize my lifelong instinct to appraise and quantify the value of what I was being shown on the big screen. It was all right to question things, or to accept the questionable.

I was staying at my favorite hotel in London some years ago (the mid 80s, as I recall) with a writer friend from Oslo (another lover of film and theater). She and I were having a late-night post-theater meal in the lounge when Roger came bustling through on the way to his room. I nearly levitated from my seat at the sight of him, and after he'd passed from view, I tried, a bit deliriously, to explain to my friend who this man was, and his importance to the world of film. She was awe-struck when I spoke of the format of the show, of two men agreeing or disagreeing over forthcoming films. There was nothing like it anywhere outside of the U.S.

As I watched this documentary, I kept remembering that evening at Brown's Hotel way back then, thinking that Roger would have given this film a wholehearted thumbs up. It is wonderfully coherent, and offers insights into the man, into his extraordinary talents and his tremendous enthusiasm, not just for film but for life and the people he loved. It's not hard to understand how difficult it was for his remarkable wife Chaz to let him go.

Like all good films, it left me sated but sad, missing those years of the wonderful weekly excitement of sitting down with my daughter (now also a lifelong film buff) to watch Sneak Previews and, subsequently, At The Movies. This is a film *not* to be missed. It succeeds on every level.

Life Itself (2014)

**** (out of 4)

I first discovered Siskel and Ebert by accidentally waking up early one morning and turning the television on to see two guys getting into a heated debate over a movie called DEAD AGAIN. It's funny but it's a moment in my life that I'll never forget because it opened my eyes to other movie lovers and the show would also introduce me to all sorts of movies that weren't playing at my small town theater. LIFE ITSELF, based on the book of the same name, covers the life and career of film critic Roger Ebert who is of course best known for his television show with Gene Siskel. The book was a wonderful read and especially for fans of Ebert but director Steve James does an extremely good job at bringing it to the screen even if we really don't see anything here that we didn't read in the book.

With that said, there's no question that the film is highly entertaining and especially when it deals with the rather love-hate relationship between Ebert and Siskel. There's no doubt that these moments are the highlight of the film as we get to see some classic clips of the two on their show but also some memorable outtakes as well as their appearances on talk shows, including an intense one on Carson where Ebert rips Chevy Chase who is sitting right there. The film also covers Ebert's personal life where we get interviews with the likes of his wife as well as Siskel's widow. Filmmakers Werner Herzog and Martin Scorsese are also on hand and discuss their relationship with Ebert. Of course, the hardest part to watch about this film are the scenes involving Ebert in the hospital where we see how much pain he was in towards the end of his life. These scenes really are hard to watch but at the same time it leaves you in amazement that he was able to continue writing on his blog at such a high level.

LIFE ITSELF has some flaws including the structure of the story but I doubt any fans of the critic are going to be disappointed. I think the 115-minute running time was fine for a general release but it seems like there's probably a lot more that could have been included.

Read more @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com)

Roger Ebert meant so much to the entire film community and when it was announced that there would be a documentary about his life and struggle after cancer, nearly every cinema lover jumped at the opportunity. Ebert, as well as his wife Chaz, inspired millions with their love, story, and the simplicity of living life with films as the central focus. Life Itself by director Steve James is an intimate and respectful look into the life of a man who too many people didn't get the chance to know.

I should start with talking a bit of what film criticism is to me. The picture inspires you to look inward and search for the reasoning behind such a love. Bloggers, critics, journalists, there are many names for all of us that exist in newspapers, internet sites, and forums around the world. We all love cinema and believe we can, and bring something different to the table of criticism. When I decided that I wanted to write about the movies, I knew I didn't want to be the academic critic. I'm not someone who analyzes the deep themes and symbolism of the movies. Doesn't mean I don't see them, it's just something I didn't set out to write about. My approach was always simple. Be able to tell people if a movie is good or not. I write from the heart. That's why you will often find typos, misusing grammar, etc.. I have never pretended to be a genius. Trust me, in school and in life, I've been pretty average when it came to academics and overall expectations. Where those have been my "shortcomings," I've been blessed in other ways with family, friends, and a killer staff. Roger Ebert was the academic critic who didn't believe that he was the tip of the iceberg. He knew there were many more of us that would claim to change the game and his time, was borrowed time on this earth.

In Life Itself, Ebert is captured in some of his most vulnerable moments but ironically, at his strongest point in his life. We witness him battle the heartbreaking truth, that his time with us is limited and there isn't much time left. But before we venture off into our Ebert of the past few years, director Steve James tells us a fascinating and beautiful story of Ebert's life, starting off in the film criticism industry, and what he brought to so many people. We get first person accounts from some of the world's most prestigious filmmakers and actors like Martin Scorsese, and first person accounts from Ebert's early days from many of his closest colleagues. It offers so much insight into the legacy of a man who offered so much to the world.

Through outtakes from the Siskel & Ebert show, to intimate and rich portraits from his many adventures around the globe, through Life Itself, we become even closer to a man we hardly knew, and in essence, become closer to ourselves. It's one of the finest films of the year and one that should be considered as the first documentary ever to be nominated for Best Picture. If there's a film that breaks the barriers for all movie-lovers everywhere, Steve James' Life Itself is it.

Magnolia Pictures will release LIFE ITSELF on iTunes/OnDemand and in theaters this Friday, July 4, 2014.

(Full, more complete review on Influx Magazine.)

"When did you first want to become a film critic?" is the question I get asked the most, second only to the obligatory "what is your favorite movie?" I always respond to the first question with the same story; I was a four-year-old boy, "reading" the "Tempo" section of the "Chicago Tribune," and by reading, I mean looking at the pictures of the movies in there, cutting them out, and pasting them to a scrapbook I would make. When I finally developed the ability to read, I would "read" some of Roger Ebert's reviews in the "Chicago Sun-Times," and by read, I mean study and honestly look at his writing structure, often rereading sentences of his over and over that struck me as comedic or ones that hit home harder than I was ever used to being hit. To say Ebert was an influence on me and my writing is still a monumental oversimplification.

Even more of an oversimplification than what I'm about to say concerning Steve James' long-awaited documentary "Life Itself," based on the life and memoir of film critic Roger Ebert. I laughed, cried, talked back to the screen, voiced my own opinions, and indulged in some of the most gratifying and entertaining two hours of my life watching his documentary unfold. Frequently I wasn't subtle in showing my emotions, pervasively tearing up when I saw the way his loving wife Chaz Ebert would help and assist Roger in any way, shape, or form he needed, and sometimes just laughing or cheering at the hilarious and often vulgar banter him and his colleague Gene Siskel would exchange on the set of their show "Sneak Previews." While all this was happening, the whole time wishing, hoping, and grieving to be half the film critic he was, leaving a tenth of the impact he did on a culture and an industry.

The film chronicles the humble beginnings to the meteoric rise to fame Roger Ebert endured, coming from your average family in Illinois to becoming known and recognized at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign for his persistent editing and managing of the school's newspaper, "The Daily Illini." Eventually, Ebert became the youngest film critic to ever hold the professional position for the "Chicago Sun-Times," the liberal, blue collar, working class paper that directly competed with the wealthier and more conservative "Chicago Tribune" right across the street. Ebert worked to breed life and an identity in the field where, before his time, film reviews were written by whomever happened to go to the movies that weekend under the name "Mae Tinee" - look at that name very closely.

It wasn't long before Ebert became known in the newspaper circle, winning the Pulitzer Prize early in his career, developing a TV show with the "Chicago Tribune's" film critic Gene Siskel, in one of Television's most charismatic and checkered relationships in the medium's history, to his personal bouts with alcoholism, to becoming one with the industry's actors, directors, writers, and so forth. Numerous colleagues of Ebert speak out on his impact on an unrecognized industry, like film critic A.O. Scott of "The New York Times," who labels Siskel and Ebert's Television show as a work of "transgressiveness" for the medium, being that these two men were who they were, verbally fighting about each others opinions on film, not complimenting and making classy remarks like "I see your point" at the completion of each others sentences. They fought over opinions like you and your relatives do with political opinions and exchanges over the dinner table.

Ebert also made the casual man appreciate film for its aesthetics, its beauty, and its capabilities, commenting on the film medium as "a machine that generates empathy," in a speech more beautiful than anything I could be given a year to cook up. He gave quieter independent films an outlet on his show with Siskel, so that you and I would know them more than just "some arty movie playing downtown."

James is all encompassing with "Life Itself," tirelessly trying to capture everything that occurred in Ebert's life, and not only miraculously succeeding, but doing succeeding overwhelmingly, to the extent one would assume impossible in just two hours that were destined to race past, as they did. James develops on Ebert's long checkered bouts with cancer, multiple different surgeries, to even showing the last few months of his life, which were largely spent in hospitals with a tireless Chaz right by his side. A cruel but necessary juxtaposition of events comes when we see home video footage of Ebert walking with his step-grandson in Europe for lengthy periods of time contrasted with an ailing but determined Ebert struggling to walk on a treadmill at a rehabilitation facility, wheezing and becoming short of breath from just a few steps.

"Life Itself" is destined to be the most emotional, moving documentary I see all year, if not the most emotional, moving film I see all year. Its detailing of a life so grand, a person so complex, and a man so original and captured in the spirit of himself in a delightfully open way makes for a film that I struggle to summarize in a way that gives it proper credit. In that case, I close my review of my current favorite documentary of 2014 in a softly poetic way, rather than a didactic or smarmy way, republishing an ode to Roger Ebert I wrote on part of my eighth grade class in 2009.

Ode to Roger Ebert

Film Critic, Columnist, like a brother. Reviews movies like none other. Bias towards him, and the ones that came. But other reviews can never be the same. One star. Two stars. Three stars. Four. Others make reviewing seem like a chore. I like Ebert for evermore.

Directed by: Steve James.

4 out of 4 stars.

I was born in Chicago and raised in the suburbs outside of the city. Although my parents got the Chicago Tribune, I would always go to Roger Ebert's website to see what he thought of the latest movies. I still do if the film was released before his death in 2013. I may not always agree with him, but I respect his opinion. You can tell that he loved the movies from his writings.

It seems right that Roger Ebert should become the subject of a documentary. He's been reviewing movies since the 1960s and has left his mark in cinema. Steve James' documentary "Life Itself" takes its title from Ebert's memoir. Sometimes the documentary feels like an adaptation of the book, just brought into film form. We get to hear Ebert as he recounts his own life tales and loves.

"Life Itself" is a great way to learn about who Ebert was and what he did for the world of cinema. You really get the essence of who Ebert was and what he stood for. There was a lot of love and respect put into this documentary and you can really feel it thanks to James' direction.

We get to see Ebert as a kid to his life in 2012 and 2013 where his operations left him without his voice. We see the love of his life Chaz Ebert, his old friends, filmmakers he inspired, his argumentative relationship with Gene Siskel, and the legacy of his work. We see who he was at his best and all his little flaws. I don't want to give too much away here, because I think it's better to watch this than to be told all this by me.

"Life Itself" is a great documentary about one of the best film critics. I may be biased, because I like Ebert, but I was very moved by this documentary. If you grew up with his reviews or his show with Siskel, I think you'll enjoy this documentary and will walk away learning something new about Ebert. If you don't know who Ebert was, you'll still be able to enjoy this documentary. It's funny and tear jerking and feels very complete. It's an ode to the man so many of have come to admire and love.

I grew up with Roger Ebert's movie reviews. I first read one of his pieces in high school and have been hooked ever since. I would usually consult him before deciding to watch a particular movie, especially if the IMDb rating was not very high: his judgment would be the tie break that would convince me – or not – to invest those 2-3 hours in a movie. Afterwards, I would tuck into bed and slowly and solemnly read his opinion, often forcing my wife to listen on.

What was so special about his reviews? What set him apart from the plethora of reviewers that compete for our attention on "Rotten Tomatoes" or "Metacritic"? For me it was the way he drew parallels between movies and real life. He was not judging a movie on its purely artistic or aesthetic merit; he stayed clear of high-sounding phrases and abstruse concepts. He didn't need and didn't want to show off his cinematic culture or talk condescendingly to his reader. On the contrary, his was an honest, almost heart- to-heart talk, in which he told us how he empathized with the characters, how he was drawn in by the plot, what details about the direction, the cinematography, the acting, the soundtrack had struck a particular chord with him.

But most importantly, he had this uncanny ability to put the movie in the context of "Life itself", to use the title of his book and of the recent documentary about his life. He extracted meaning from virtually every movie; a movie reviewed by Ebert wasn't just a movie, it became a vehicle for exploring our deepest emotions, aspirations, frustrations; a way of redefining our common humanity. After reading an Ebert review, I usually felt a strong connection with the man, because he had opened up to me, he wasn't lecturing me or forcing his interpretation on me.

In fact, he seemed to always want to underline, explicitly or implicitly, that the review was all about how the movie had resonated with HIM. He never pretended that movies weren't what they are: an entirely subjective experience. There are as many reviews as there are persons and, paradoxically, the more personal the review, the more interesting it gets. This is why I liked his reviews even when I didn't agree with them, even if I didn't feel the same emotions he experienced during the picture. After reading a review that I didn't agree with, I even took particular pride in holding a different point of view. Most professional reviewers make you feel stupid if you don't share their strong opinion: if you don't like a movie that they praised, then you are uncultured and unsophisticated; if you loved a movie they torpedoed, you are superficial and have bad taste… Ebert never made you feel that way; on the contrary, you always felt on a level plain.

The documentary "Life Itself", which touches on many aspects of Ebert's life and work, is unmissable for any fan. I would've preferred a more in-depth coverage of his reviews, his relationship with movies, especially the one's that changed his life. In my opinion, director Steve James dwells excessively on Ebert's terminal illness – close-ups of his chin-less face are omnipresent – and on his relationship with his wife and with his television partner Gene Siskel (which takes up an outsize portion of the documentary). For me, Ebert is all about his reviews, and to have given them so little space is a pity.

Even so, I would recommend spending two hours with "Life Itself", even if you've never read an Ebert review: it will introduce you to one of the best movie critics of all time, who has written reviews for half the history of motion pictures and touched the lives of thousands of people – including mine – guiding them through an exciting journey of discovery and self-discovery.

This film is highly recommended.

The face on the movie poster was very recognizable: Roger Ebert, Pulitizer Prize winning film critic for the Chicago SunTimes, celebrated television reviewer, and one of the foremost advocates of film history. We remember his small stature, roundish face and horn-rimmed glasses from days past, his trademarked thumbs up or down denoting his movie ratings. We think back to his impassioned words of criticism, that impish grin (later be lost to bone cancer, along with his jaw and voice). This is his story, as told by one of his beloved documentary filmmaker, Steve James, in the gripping documentary, Life Itself.

The film chronicles Ebert's rise to fame in the sixties as an ambitious reporter to becoming a syndicated film personality (along with his fellow critic, Gene Siskel) on his highly popular programs, Sneak Previews, At the Movies, and finally Siskel & Ebert which brought him fame and fortune in the next decades. Included in this detailed documentary are his many successes in a solo career and his numerous best-selling books about movies.

But Life Itself is foremost a heart-wrenching love story about Roger and Chaz, his devoted wife, and their relationship and commitment. The film depicts this romance and never skirts the issues of Ebert's problematic life, from his bouts with alcoholism and his battle with cancer in his later years. This is a loving testament, an honest and absorbing tribute filled with interviews by other critics, close friends, and film directors who truly admired this man and his impact on their lives.

Beside the glowing testimony from film directors like Martin Scorsese, Errol Morris, and Werner Herzog, who admit to Ebert's early impact on their budding careers, the film uses wonderful footage from the Siskel / Ebert television programs which have a nostalgic and entertaining quality sorely missing from today's mass media. The bantering and rivalry between these two critics not only communicates their passion and devotion to the art of film, but ultimately illustrates their far-reaching effect on the film industry.

Director James incorporates photographs, interviews, and archival footage to build his story of an irascible and flawed man whose love for the cinema gave him renewed purpose. He expertly transitions from before and after contrasting images of Ebert as the upbeat critic and crusader to a common man disfigured by disease which gives the moviegoer more empathy for its subject. The documentary follows Ebert's career as it gingerly jumps around from his early years to his final days. Strong voice-over work by Stephen Stanton gives the film an emotional tethering for those who remember Mr. Ebert's voice as the film continually uses his unspoken words from his best-selling autobiography to effectively tell his story. Just as candid is Chaz's honesty and eloquence about their troubled final months together. Her obvious love and tenderness is truly inspirational and only adds to the film's poignancy.

Life Itself also reveals the brutality of a disease that dramatically changed Mr. Ebert's life. In harrowing scenes, James unflinchingly shows the grueling regime of physical pain that became a daily occurrence for Mr. Ebert and the emotional hardship that his wife and family members endured. Unable to eat, drink, or speak, he relies on his computer to communicate and his love for Chaz to get his through the day. Ebert's courage to continue to live under these dire extremes in order to write his critiques is touching. The hospital and rehab scenes are sometimes unbearable to watch but never gratuitous and unwarranted. They are who he was, Ebert himself.

Life Itself is that way. A remarkable film about a remarkable life. As I'm sure Ebert would have said himself, "Thumbs way, way up!" GRADE: A-

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ANY COMMENTS: Please contact me at: jadepietro@rcn.com

The documentary reasons that Ebert's enthusiasm for wanting the painful and explicit procedures he daily endures following the loss of his lower jaw comes from long-time colleague Gene Siskel's withholding of his own brain cancer from Roger. To be sure the procedures make this a challenging documentary to watch and arguably take away from the life the movie intends to document. While we do get some of the biography presented in Ebert's book segmented as he did by chapters devoted to those closest to him, much of the detail is missing. This choice makes for a major distraction from Ebert's contribution. However, unlike the book, the movie tells us some of Siskel's background and kindles some interest in learning more about him. When will that bio debut? In short, the fascinating "Zelig"-like life of Ebert shines through despite the narrative choices.

I loved my grandmother very much. Unfortunately, my lasting memory of her is her lying in a hospital bed, both legs removed above the knees (diabetes) and her being unable to even recognize me. She thought I was a nurse...

Because of the careless way this film was constructed, my memory of Mr. Ebert will forever be him with his remaining jaw skin, flapping about as he tried to communicate. I can understand this matter being shown briefly, so the viewer has a better understanding of what this man went through, but the repeated jump cuts back to him in this horrible state was an unnecessary distraction from what should have been the story of his very interesting life.

This film would have been given two thumbs down by both S&E.

I guess there's just not much to say about this except that it's bloody brilliant. I feel like so many biographical documentaries might have wanted to talk about the person's entire life, and go through it all. Not this one, and because of it, it never feels bogged down by so much material. It flows through pretty easily and seamlessly, the editing isn't too fast-paced but instead lingers on Ebert's more philosophical viewpoints in his book. It's definitely incredibly sad and beautiful, probably the saddest documentary since Dear Zachary. This is destined to be a crowd-pleaser, as it should be. I strongly recommend it to anyone of any age.

Life Itself, a comprehensive, honest biography of film critic and 1975 Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Ebert's life, (based on Ebert's own memoir of the same name, and directed by Steve James of Hoop Dreams), is a great movie; I think Roger would have given it a hearty Thumbs Up.

Ebert had a modest upbringing in Urbana, Illinois, quickly rose in the ranks as a reporter and then film critic at the Chicago Sun-Times, going on to educate and influence the world about the power and beauty of films, and specifically, the ability of a cinematic experience to expand our worldview and compassion.

I watched Ebert's various film critique shows for decades, beginning when I was a kid. I used to record the shows and watch them to help me determine which movies I might want to see. In viewing this very well organized, touching and witty documentary, I realized what an impact Roger Ebert had on my life.

His early drive as a writer, a voice of political reason, young carousing, social alchoholic, (who later got and remained sober), with a bent for Russ Meyers films as well as film classics, foreign and independent fare, and a wholly passionate approach to his work as film reviewer is covered, as well as his rivalry-inspired chemistry with fellow critic and long-time TV show partner, Gene Siskel. Some of the footage with Siskel is hysterical. Friends and colleagues, (including Martin Scorsese and also, Gene Siskel's widow, Marlene Iglitzen), as well as his wife, Chaz Ebert give revealing, sizzling , heartful interviews. Roger himself also has much screentime as he is interviewed in the hospital late into his illness.

In the last decade of his life, Roger had cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands and his lower jaw was removed, leaving him disfigured and unable to speak or eat normally. Regardless of this awful physical predicament, Roger glowed with love for his wife and family, and life itself, and he remained steadfast in his fervor for his work.

I give Life Itself an enthusiastic THUMBS UP!

PROS: Marvelous view of a man most of us cinema buffs grew to love even as we sometime scowled in disagreement. Director Steve James did well marking the journey from childhood on forward. I was pleased to see appropriate time spent on that part of his journey most near and dear to our hearts... Siskel and Ebert at The Movies. This was also the most entertaining aspect of the film. Roger's late in life love tale which included his new extended family was heart warming on many levels. Who knew his love of kids and especially his instant grand children. How wonderful that he took the time to travel the world with his new family in two. His life's work and contributions from those who knew him was top notch. Overall a truly satisfying look back at Roger's life and the 'gifts' he bestowed to us over many years.

CONS: While director James gives short shrift to the many destructive years of Roger's alcoholism, a horrid disease, he was determined to dwell on Rogers final illness. One reviewer notes correctly: James dwells excessively on Ebert's terminal illness – close-ups of his chin-less face are omnipresent. Another also gets it right noting: (James) camera brings us – oftentimes relentlessly – into the final months of his life James shows us the famous Esquire front page photo Roger selected at the 'height' of his illness...to basically bare it all. The photo showed Roger's 'dignity' at the worst of medical time of his life. It is an astounding insight into the man and what he choose to reveal. On the other hand Roger did NOT choose to use photos of a suffering, bed ridden man with the camera staring through the void that was once his mouth/jaw. Nor did he choose a close-up of a nurse shoving a tube down his throat as he sat squirming. I am thinking Roger got it right and James relentless, in your face, fascination with the final months of Roger's life got it wrong.

Even if you have no idea who Roger Ebert was or if you didn't care for his work, "Life Itself" is well worth seeing. It's one of the best documentaries I've ever seen and there's so much about it that impressed me.

This film was made in the final months of the life of Ebert and was finished shortly after his death last April. Much of the film consists of many things--an honest look at Ebert's ill health, his seriously debilitation following multiple surgeries and his imminent death. This sort of thing surely will scare away most viewers, as so many of us are afraid to take a serious look at illness and dying. In fact, few films deal with it and "Life Itself" and "Barbarians at the Gates" are two that do so...and do it very candidly and honestly. To me, this portion of the film is the best and, although difficult to watch at times, was just brilliant film making.

As for the rest of the movie, it's both a discussion of the career of Ebert as well as interviews with the many folks who loved him and his work. There are so many stories and anecdotes that make this all quite enjoyable as well.

Overall, this is a fabulous documentary and should likely be a nominee for the Best Documentary Oscar. And, it's among the very best films I've seen this year...if not the best. Not to be missed. Just be sure to have some Kleenex handy when you do see it.

While this played in theaters, it is very much a TV doc. Ironically, even though it is about a film critic, it isn't remotely cinematic. It is essentially a series of talking heads, photos and straight-forward digitally-shot work.

I enjoyed Ebert's work a lot, for the most part, and followed him for quite some time. It would have been cool to have met him. But, a full-length documentary on him seems to be a bit much, in a way. About half of it is about his deeply heartbreaking cancer battle in the final decade of his life.

People have said online that the medical part is difficult to watch. But, in our United States, where people are for wars and execution so easily, it is odd that the slightest images of someone facing medical issues turns people's stomachs so easily! Maybe if they had to actually see the torn-apart bodies from warfare, or the fried remnants of the freshly executed, maybe they would rethink their positions just a bit!

The highlight is a great R-rated quote about Pauline Kael! That, plus voice actor Stephen Stanton does a wildly on-point portrayal of Roger in the voice overs!

The movie is fine for what it is. But, any movie that is about movies should show a genuine appreciation for film. This doesn't. Also, it works better in its original two-hour form than in the hour-and-a-half edit on CNN.

****** (6 Out of 10 Stars)

As a Brazilian, I got to know about Roger's work late in 2012, through indications from Pablo Villaça, a Brazilian film critic. As I got going to know him better, and when reading his reviews after each film became routine, I had the well-known feeling of "how did I live until now without this?". So there I was, someone who recently discovered Roger Ebert merely two years ago, coming to watch the documentary about his life, with a minimum connection with the writer.

As his story is told, and we get to know a man enjoying premature success with a hedonist lifestyle, I kept thinking: "where is this great writer that everyone loves?". But then the movie covers all of his trajectory in such a delicate way that we feel how important verbal communication is for him. And later on we understand how gigantic of a soul he is to overcome the lack of being able to talk, something he loved so much.

The many dimensions of Roger's personality is also shown beautifully in the film. Many times we can sketch a thought agreeing to Gene Siskel saying "he is an asshole". And, in a nutshell, the movie tells the story of an arrogant man who, with many paths in his life, became humble as one can ever be.

Take for example the first sequence of rivalry between Siskel and Roger behind the cameras. I found it, at the same time, shocking and funny, although the soundtrack suggests the first one. And later on I felt relieved to see that they became good friends for life. I can recall Roger saying, in one of his reviews, that movies are about changes. Well, this movie is about change. And the great protagonist magnifies that.

Behind most of those changes is Chaz Ebert. We are not only told how great she is, but we actually see her taking care of fragile Robert, and not being afraid to confess: "I do get tired sometimes". Which leaves no doubt about how important and strong of a woman she is.

Talking about humility, there is no better way to picture that than showing two of the most successful directors, Scorsese and Herzog, throwing out compliments to the critic, and telling stories before their fame. And seeing how Roger treated yet anonymous, but talented, people like Ramin Bahrani, Errol Morris and Ava DuVernay is his absolute passport to our heart.

By the end of the movie, while is heartbreaking seeing Roger say "It is likely I will have passed when the film is ready", it is extremely comforting to see how he deals with death. And after two hours of screening, I caught myself weeping my eyes out when one of the messages Roger sent Steve James appeared on screen: "I'm fading".

Two hours. It was all it took, after only two years of contact with the writer, for me to love this man. And for me to love and thank Chaz, and even to thank Leonard Cohen for once saving him. Life Itself is a lifetime experience.

Moving, big-hearted documentary on the life of Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, the only movie reviewer ever to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Ebert, who grew up in Urbana, Illinois, longed for the world of possibilities of Chicago, and headed that way with a Ph. D. in English but without a job. Assignments at the Chicago Sun-Times amazingly led to the vacant film critic's chair in 1967 after the previous reviewer retired (I've heard that story several times and still find it difficult to believe; the cliquish attitude at most newspapers would seem to ensure a popularity fight amongst in-house journalists for the job). It isn't made clear how much of an impact the world of movies made on Ebert before he got the job (cinema is simply not mentioned before this chapter of his life). He apparently embraced the position whole-heartedly, eventually penning a screenplay for filmmaker Russ Meyer (the lamentable "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls") and becoming half of the amusingly combative "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies" review program on television, hugely popular for many years (first on PBS, as "Sneak Previews", and then in syndication). Tragically, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both succumbed to cancer (Siskel from a malignant brain tumor in February 1999). Ebert, with his loving wife Chaz by his side, courageously battles thyroid and salivary gland cancer, never allowing his health complications and multiple hospital stays slow him down. Extremely prolific in the last year of his life, he retained his love of movies and his sense of humor while also being resigned to death. Roger Ebert passed away in April 2013, and did so with dignity and grace. For anyone who grew up watching Siskel and Ebert on TV every week, it was the end of an era; this film represents a document to their legacy, as well as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. National Board of Review named the film as Best Documentary, but Oscar did not come calling. *** from ****

Life Itself is a perfectly poised documentary of Roger Ebert's life, focusing on his impactful years as a film critic and later years of declining health.

Unfortunately, and at no fault to Steve James, the film maker of Life Itself, the documentary is hindered by death of its subject, Roger Ebert.

It is a bit odd to be a novice film reviewer hoping to break through as film critic and review a film about one of the most renowned and influential film critics of our time, Roger Ebert. In a way, I feel like Ebert would be supportive of it, exemplified by his nurturing of burgeoning directorial talent in the creative realm of cinema.

As a film critic, Ebert was one of the foremost film critics in the transparent era of media. With the documentary Life Itself we not only see Roger Ebert in his formative years of adolescence but his early years in print news in Chicago. This portion represents the first half of the film, with interviews with former colleague, who do not hold back. The second half of Life Itself goes into his time as the completing portion of "Siskel and ___" and his fervent fight despite failing health.

But I digress, Life Itself ponders back and forth between biography and documentary and that is one of its flaws. Clearly, Steve James was a moderate fan of Roger Ebert, or else he would have delved a bit deeper into the more negative aspects of his persona. Namely his drinking, which is barely acknowledged in drive-by fashion. The other flaw of Life Itself is its failure to capture a satisfying conclusion due to the failing health and death of Ebert to cancer.

Roger Ebert was a complex man with his positives and negatives, but he did influence and promote film significantly and any film buff should give Life Itself a watch. My only complaint is that the film maker did not find more people who could have spoke of the direct effect Ebert had on their career, in addition to Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog and Ava DuVernay. In the end, I feel like for a comprehensive look at the man, perhaps it is best to reference his autobiography.

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Like the age we live in, this movie is aggressively vacuous and narcissistic.

A good biography uses the particular to teach us something more general. It uses the individual subject to dig up some truths about their life that apply not just to that particular individual, but also to the world we live in. To Life Itself, you could say.

So a biography of Napoleon, ideally, shouldn't just teach us about Napoleon's particulars; it should teach us about France, Revolution, War, Power, Love, Death, Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, &c. And preferably how this all relates to the world we live in today.

This biopic documentary about Roger Ebert taught us something about Rogert Ebert, his personality and quirks, but hardly anything more. We learn nothing about film, nothing about film criticism, and hardly anything about TV or show business. We learn about almost nothing that related to the world Robert Ebert lived in and absolutely nothing about the world we live in.

All this movie basically says: 'Me! me! me! me!,' but about someone else. We love films like this, I'm sure, because we're secretly hoping that, when the time comes, someone will lionize and eulogize us in the same way. It's a sort of 'projected narcissism'.

That this documentary is universally acclaimed is telling of age we live in.