clifflutz Life itself is a Documentary film about the life and career Roger Ebert a host on the very popular show Siskel and Ebert and a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic. For about a day I debated whether I should write a review of this film at all. I had never watched the Siskel and Ebert show, never even read a word of Roger Ebert's countless film reviews. I was an outsider and felt that in a way my opinion was unimportant, but then I reflected back on the way that Roger democratized film criticism at the Conference on World Affairs with his Cinema Interrupts series, and I was sufficiently emboldened. The film starts with a clip of Roger speaking about the advancement of civilization and the importance of empathy. When he mentions film he makes it clear that the most important thing a movie can do is put you in the shoes of someone else and give you that experience in a way no other media can. After watching Life Itself I am struck by just how perfectly Director Steve James and Roger Ebert accomplish this. I went from being someone who knew nothing of Roger to feeling as though we could have been friends. This film made me do more than laugh and cry it drove me to take up writing movie reviews again! Roger had his own newspaper column at 15 years old when he was still delivering that same paper! My friends and I were newspaper boys for a short while in high school and none of us were bright enough to have written for the advertisement and coupon holder of a paper we delivered! As much of a hit to the ego as this all was I couldn't help but be inspired by the ability Ebert displayed. This was a young man who at one point literally stopped the presses! We are taken through time in a mostly linear fashion during the movie aside from the occasional interviews with Roger in the hospital. The film starts by giving us an idea of Roger's childhood and the relationship he had with his parents through questions posed in the interview, quotes from his memoir, and photographs from his youth. The Documentary skillfully continues to weave together interviews with friends, family, and excerpts from Rogers's reviews, along with many photos and video clips. Director Steve James pulls all these fragments together giving us a clear impression of Roger's life. Some of the most memorable clips were of the behind the scenes bickering between Gene Siskel and Roger on the Siskel and Ebert show. The two of them would do anything to knock the other off his game and always had a snarky remark for when the other messed up a take! Over time though they started to gain respect for each other and even grew close when doing the later seasons of the show. As the feature comes to a close we are introduced to more of Rogers health struggles and hear more from his wife and family. There are many touching exchanges that are initiated by Roger who has seemingly come to terms with his mortality and wishes to put things in order. Emails between Roger and Steve the director become more labored and eventually stop. When Roger posts his final blog entry you feel as if you've lost an old friend. Documentary films offer us something other movies can not. We are given a window into the lives of people rather than characters, life rather than cleverly or clumsily written stories. I have developed a deep adoration for a man who only a few days ago I knew barely a thing about. Life Itself is a beautiful walk in someone else's shoes.

Mr-Fusion There's an old clip of outtakes from "Siskel and Ebert at the Movies" showing the two critics bumbling a show intro, and they're just at each other's throats. It shocked me when I first saw it (probably on YouTube) because the men as I'd known them (being household names) shared a businesslike relationship. "Life Itself" contains even more of that footage, and expounds on what was really a professional rivalry between Siskel and Ebert; and I think that was my favorite part of the film because their relationship really was contentious. It's fascinating, and still surprises me even after having seen this.There's a lot to illuminate about Roger Ebert, and some of the most absorbing material is in his pre-television career as a dyed-in-the-wool newspaperman. That, and the focus on Chaz, who has a really warm presence. It doesn't really matter where you stand on Roget Ebert the film critic (I tend to think of him as an essayist) because "Life Itself" is bound to pluck just the right heartstring. This is touching, funny and just a nice look at an accomplished life.7/10

tavm Just got through watching this documentary of Roger Ebert's life and career on Netflix disc. Covering his beat at the Chicago Sun-Times, his TV appearances with rival Chicago Tribune movie critic Gene Siskel, and his final days incapacitated by health concerns with his wife Chaz by his side every step of the way, one gets touched by his determination-and sometimes dread-at what he went through and also how he always kept his sense of humor throughout all the ordeals. I suppose one could feel a little disappointed at no interview of the late Siskel's replacement, Richard Roeper, or even a mention of him but what is included should certainly be enough for anyone interested in the way Ebert lived. Anyway, anyone wanting to know more about this fascinating man's life should probably check out his memoir with the same title as this movie. So on that note, I highly recommend Life Itself.

Dominic LeRose You know you're dealing with someone remarkable when a guy can talk and write about movies to the point where you become obsessed with his writing and show. Roger Ebert had that thing about him. From his brilliant show called "Siskel & Ebert" where he would talk and debate movies (which really was about more than movies) every week, to his film reviews for the Chicago Sun- Times, Roger Ebert was able to become famous by being a film critic, something very few people can say. "Life Itself" explores Roger Ebert's remarkable and unique life. Ebert was so much more than just a film critic, and I was surprised to see how much more of a man he was than I knew him for. From the stand point of one of his fans who regularly read and continues to read his movie reviews, I was surprised to realize his layered and complex this writer was. Roger Ebert's relationships and look on life is told from those who knew him best. We explore the gifts he brought to the film industry ad the impact his writings did on the growth of cinema. He was the movie guy, and forever will be. We see a very unique personality being recorded over many years until the tragic death of cancer than sadly brought him to an end. What we learn is how beautiful his life was, and how much he did for cinema. As Ebert said, "I'll see ya at the movies." Somehow, I think in every movie theater across the globe there's a seat reserved specially for Ebert.