SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

Crappy film

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

In 2013, a bright light went out in the world. Someone who very early on inspired me to not only enjoy watching movies, but to be excited by them. Someone who taught me that nearly anyone could participate in film analysis and pass some amount of judgment (good or bad) about the films I watch. He was Roger Ebert.I loved to see him spar with Richard Roeper in the early 2000's on movies as inconsequential as Death to Smoochy. Clearly, Ebert put his heart on his sleeve when it came to most films and it offended him the most when a film wasted his time. On the other hand, when he adored a film, his praise was simply poetic. He had a way with words, man.. and he knew a good film when he saw one. If Ebert said to go see it, I would usually follow suit. His criticism was astute, meaningful and 9 times out of ten, summed up what he just watched in the most precise way.Life Itself honors him in the way he should've always been honored. Someone far beyond your average, pompous film critic. An average midwestern guy who loves a good flick, but smart enough to have received a Pulitzer Prize. Such a common man's film critic, he might as well have stood on a soapbox outside the theater he attended in Chicago to profess his feelings. Life Itself articulates the anger we all felt when he lost the ability to speak. We see Roger struggle to live any kind of peaceful life, having to constantly go to the hospital for physical therapy. Filmed just a few months prior to his death, it is difficult and angering to watch him suffer. One must wonder, had Roger been able to speak, what would he say? Had his life turned into one of those bad movies he's reviewed in his lifetime?But what will never change from Ebert is his profound affect on the film industry and how fellow filmmakers revered him, even though he may have maligned their films when he felt it was necessary. There's really something to be said about that. Thumbs way, way up.

Now admittedly, I was not very familiar with Roger Ebert's work or career until right before I watched this film; I actually was surprised to learn that he had passed away, due to the fact that I still see reviews from his website everywhere. My only real knowledge of him was that he was essentially the go-to film critic, and the primary face of film criticism. But after watching this film, I don't feel like I know every single bit and piece of the man's work, and because of that I feel like this movie did exactly what it wanted to do, for better or for worse. "Life Itself" strikes the perfect balance between informing the viewer on its subject while still not spoon feeding the viewer; we aren't given every little detail of Ebert's life, but a flowing narrative that informs us on his character and his career. This movie serves more it seems as a visual companion piece of his autobiography, as many excerpts from it are used in the film, and in that regard I think it really works very well. This film never paints Ebert as perfect, but it always shows the right balance of sympathy and realism to really feel like Roger Ebert as a person is encapsulated well in this film. This movie isn't about a movie critic as much as it's about a man's life. A man who just happened to have a deep passion for film criticism. And ultimately, this film does an excellent job of representing a man whose impact on the realm film criticism very well, albeit with the occasionally pacing issue or interview that feels a little unnecessary. Overall, I can definitely recommend "Life Itself" to any movie fan. 8.7/10

Crafted with care, told with affection & paying a heartfelt tribute to the life & career of arguably the most celebrated film critic of all time, Life Itself is both an informative documentary & a captivating biopic that offers an interesting insight into the life of Roger Ebert whose passion & love for cinema made him an iconic figure not only in film criticism but the whole film culture.Interspersed with archive footages, interviews with colleagues, friends & family, snippets from his famous TV show with Gene Siskel, images from few of the lesser-known flicks he gave his voice to, and also including live sessions with Roger Ebert himself when he was battling cancer, Life Itself is an expertly assembled documentary that sensibly explores the remarkable legacy he left behind.Directed by Steve James, Life Itself attempts to find a fine balance between Ebert's personal life & work but ends up being more about Ebert the man than Ebert the legendary critic, which definitely isn't a complaint for whatever moments did make its way into the final picture is highly fascinating. The film glances at both the positive & negative aspects of Ebert in equal measure but never with a judging eye.It is amusing when discussing Beyond the Valley of the Dolls which was written by Ebert himself, is painful when showing his fight with cancer & the resulting physical disability, is emotionally moving in the most unexpected moments but the best part of Life Itself is the Ebert & Siskel segment for it ingeniously captures their often contrasting opinions, their endless disputes, their initial contempt yet tremendous respect for each other and the lifelong friendship that was born from it.One an overall scale, Life Itself is a touching, entertaining, inspiring, heartwarming & heartbreaking cinema that emits a deep sense of warmth throughout its runtime. Filmmakers filming a biopic such as this often have the tendency to get a little carried away but it's good to see James not mourning over Ebert's death and instead celebrating his life & the profound impact he had on so many lives. Brimming with passion, love & endearment from beginning to end, Life Itself is a must-watch for all. Two-thumbs way up!

As an aspiring film critic myself, there are quite a few people who I look up to in that profession. Whether it be Jeremy Jahns, The Schmoes, Chris Stuckmann, or Alicia Malone, they all have a different way of spreading their love for movies through words and passion. But the first critic that I ever remembered the name for was Roger Ebert. Just as my review title states, nobody said it better than Roger. He had a way of articulating his words into an informative and entertaining way that made me want to go see the movie and understand what he meant. I mean gosh this man won and Pulitzer Prize and his license plate is 'movies', I mean come on.This documentary gives us an open and personal look at the most famous film critic to ever live. It's directed by acclaimed documentarian Steve James (Hoop Dreams), so you know you're getting a genuinely well thought out film. Unfortunately James had to deal with Ebert's passing a few years back that I'm sure switched the film around a bit. What's great about Life Itself is that Roger says in it that he doesn't want himself to overpower the story of the film. I think he means that sometimes the subject of the film tends to have too much input about what is and isn't shown in the film. But it goes on to show his darker times and his personality that ticked a lot of people off. His relationship with Siskel was average at best and he wasn't afraid to say what he wanted to say whenever he wanted to say it. But I think the more important thing here was his commitment to writing and talking about how beautiful cinema is and always has been.Being from Chicago myself and knowing Ebert was born and raised in Illinois and went on to write for the Sun-Times for more than 40 years, made it even more important to me to see this film and read his reviews. He's one of the few critics where even when I completely disagree with him, I can see where he's coming from and find it hard to argue with the things he says. He predicted Martin Scorsese would become one of the great film directors of all time 10 years before he gave us Raging Bull. Scorsese had quite a few insightful things to say about how much Ebert meant to him, even when he ripped on his movies. I'm glad the film addressed the celebrity that Ebert became and how close actors and people in the film business came to him as his fame grew.As inspirational and devastating as the film can be at times, (talk about tearing up at the end), it's a very spiritual experience. Ebert narrates some of the segments of the film including some that feel like he knows what's coming next. And I think that's why the film impacted me so much, is that Roger really was the star of his own movie, and of course the director, writer, and brought all the actors in. He really did love Life Itself more than movies, the only thing he loved more than movies.+Inspirational, being an aspiring film critic from Chicago +Showed all sides +The Siskel & Ebert relationship was cool to see +Touching and spiritual experience 10/10 (Two Thumbs Up)!