Review of Life Itself (2014) by Ben L — 19 Jan 2015
In another recent review I mentioned that I don't do documentaries, and that remains the case for Life Itself. While I find this kind of biography about someone whose life I was interested in to be more engaging than other documentaries, I must admit I get bored after awhile.
The best moments of Life Itself are when they talk about Ebert's time on At the Movies with Gene Siskel. Since that's the time I was most familiar with Roger Ebert and his work, naturally I'm more engaged finding out what was going on behind the scenes.
In fact I really got that sense of nostalgia when they showed some actual clips from the show, and I found myself wishing they would just play more of the episodes so I could remember how much fun it was to watch these guys break down a movie.
The present-day stuff that dealt with the final days of his life were hard to watch, but I was touched by the love you could feel between Roger and his wife Chaz. If you are a fan of film criticism, if you grew up watching At the Movies, or you like a good biopic, then I'd highly recommend Life Itself.
While my childlike mind did wander occasionally, I still think it was a well-constructed film.
This review of Life Itself (2014) was written by Ben L on 19 Jan 2015.
Life Itself has generally received very positive reviews.
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