Life Itself

Even while he was still alive, there were few film critics left like Roger Ebert. His influence on the industry and level of respect from fans of both mainstream and independent films was nearly unmatched.

Even if you didn’t agree with his opinion, he was admired for his prolific essays and critiques, which conveyed a passion for film as an art form that, in turn, elevated his writing to a sort of art form of its own.

So it’s fitting that Life Itself, a documentary based on Ebert’s autobiography, is the type of heartfelt yet honest work that Ebert himself would have almost certainly given a thumbs-up.

The film chronicles the journalism career of its subject, who earned a Pulitzer Prize during a longtime stint at the Chicago Sun-Times.  It also probes his personal life, including a bout with alcoholism, his marriage at age 50 that turned him into a middle-aged family man, and his embrace of social media when thyroid cancer rendered him mute and facially deformed in his final years.

Plus, of course, it includes an amusing segment about his love-hate relationship with rival and friend Gene Siskel, with whom he co-hosted a syndicated television show for more than two decades that popularized and redefined film criticism.

Director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) began the project before Ebert’s death in April 2013, and features several sequences of Ebert in his hospital bed, where he’s determined to continue writing and seeing movies even as his health deteriorates. In these scenes, Ebert shows a well-rounded depth and courage to his perceptions about mortality and topics well beyond the silver screen.

The film proves that Ebert’s life was more fascinating than most people ever knew, despite his borderline celebrity status. It shows an insight behind his famous thumbs, and shines the spotlight on the unfortunately deteriorating role of serious film criticism in contemporary media. The straightforward and mostly chronological approach of James doesn’t offer anything too controversial, yet it adequately notes his influence.

Life Itself turns into an affectionate tribute by film lovers, for film lovers, about the ultimate film lover. It serves as a fitting eulogy not only for the man but also for his job. Considering the state of newspapers and the endangered nature of film critics today, there’s a poignancy to the material knowing that Ebert can never be replaced.

Rated R, 115 minutes.