Review of Life Itself (2014) by Edward A — 10 Jul 2014

Without Roger Ebert, the sheer adoration for film discussions and criticisms would certainly not be as prevalent as it is now-the blogosphere dedicated to movies and the various TV programs or Youtube shows that cover the newest motion picture releases wouldn't be as popular. There's no doubting that Ebert is a massive inspiration to the multitudinous film critics, fervid moviegoers, and even filmmakers, themselves, of today. Life Itself promises to recount the steps of this legendary connoisseur from his eventful youth to his painfully-spent remaining days.

Now, of course, I deeply respect Ebert as a movie enthusiast of elegant taste-as an incredibly intelligent film critic- and hold him as a vast influence for my venture into film criticism. His reviews not only analyzed in specificity the wondrous elements of classics or the mistakes of flops but also managed to implement a fair amount of history and background information as well, often addressing the filmmaker's overall backstory or the manner in which the film's shooting schedule progressed rather than solely focusing on the film itself and just tediously mentioning every aspect of the picture-its cinematography, script, acting, and the usual that would bore an average Joe. Simply put, he educated cinephiles as to the world of cinema, as well as informed them of the particular film's quality at the same time.

With that being said, I'm not going to allow my strong admiration for the esteemed film critic to consume me with bias and prevent any further criticism in regards to the actual documentary. Without further ado, let's examine Life Itself's true quality. First of all, it simply digresses too frequently and aims away from Ebert's compelling career and the "last act" of his existence and instead looks at the very intricacies of his personal life. Perhaps, a longer duration would've benefitted in this case or maybe tighter editing would've sufficed. The film commences and noticeably encounters issues finding a starting point-clearly faces a difficulty telling a comfortably linear and articulate narrative as it bounces back and forth in time from Ebert's younger years working as a journalist at local newspapers to-suddenly- his later years in marriage with Chaz.

This project would've felt more confident in its storytelling structure if it would've kept the linearity and smooth timeline transitions that most documentaries possess.

I'm sure Ebert would've understood my need to go beyond my initial infatuation with an inspiration's story. Honestly, Life Itself didn't captivate me every pace of the way like other documentaries this year did, including Whitey and The Internet's Own Boy. It didn't show enough of his life as a film critic to deem the experience satisfying. My favorite moments weren't those of his interactions with the expanding family or the countless friends-the segments that highlighted Gene Siskel's and Roger Ebert's endearing relationship throughout their television program's span and those of actual footage from their movie reviews were what compelled me the most, as they should have. I am viewing the biography of a movie critic, and that is precisely what I wanted to witness more of, not the ever-lingering shots of his pain and anguish on a hospital bed.

Obviously, the most crucial root of this ultimate tribute to Roger is its underlying themes of motivation and utter passion, and in that regard, it certainly succeeded. Yes, the film began by stressing just how "cool" Ebert was in his youthful age with an incessant exhibition of photographs presenting his smug poses at local bars with women and friends. The movie seemed to flaunt this period of his life to an obnoxious degree as if it was an attempt to kiss up, but then, it finally delved into the exuberance of Ebert's love for films and his never-ending desire to visit the movie theater again and again. Life Itself, while inarticulate and uninteresting at times, will leave you with a much greater fondness for this most accomplished critic-a Pulitzer Prize winner-and, most importantly, strengthen the moviegoer's ardor for cinema.