Director: Steve James
Starring: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel, Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, A.O. Scott
Running Time: 118 Minutes
Synopsis: The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.
LIFE ITSELF reveals and unravels the life of legendary Chicago film critic Roger Ebert and in a sense, or possibly as a precise emphatic fact, he’s the reason many of us have the opportunity to watch and critique films in the way we do today. From starting out on the smaller side of town with the Chicago Sun Times, his endeavour, knowledge and belief in talking about the movies in an open and accessible way would eventually become an influential part of our modern media.
The documentary is based on Roger’s memoirs and I originally feel it was intended to join him as he recovered from throat cancer and started to talk again but, very sadly, events took a different turn. But regardless of the original intention, director Steve James has created an intelligent, moving and insightful documentary that highlights every moment of Roger’s career from his youth and family background, right through to later mainstream success and a warm, loving relationship.
When you explore the life of such an interesting character, there’s always going to be different types of stories. His relationship with many, and with himself, was evidently turbulent in his younger years before he stopped drinking. After admitting to himself that he was an alcoholic, he gave up but didn’t go public until some 30 years later. During those early years, he gathered many friends and contacts, travelled and lived life positively and then things starting to settle down alongside his love/hate relationship with Gene Siskel and their TV Show ‘At The Movies’. Their now famous ‘thumbs up/thumbs down’ quick snippet review show was famed not just for their knowledge of the movies, or the different kinds of films they watched but most excitingly because they didn’t always agree and this resulted in heated on-screen arguments. This passion resonated with audiences because it showed they cared open-endedly for the subject, and this healthy debate eventually turned into countrywide US success. It’s essential to point out that despite commercial success, Ebert’s and Siskel’s influence wasn’t exclusive to that side, as they were also supporting young filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, who is interviewed here to tell us of the influence Ebert had on him.
LIFE ITSELF isn’t just about Ebert’s time though, it’s also about others around him which includes his amazing wife, Chez Ebert. Even though they met when Roger was 50, it’s beyond evidently clear how much strength she gave him and how influential she was on his life and making him happy. The documentary absolutely presents the hard times in Roger’s later life when he went through significant hospital visits, treatments and more to treat his cancer but it also celebrates his humour, his uncanny ability to keep on trying and very importantly his comprehensive desire and affection for Chez and their extended family.
Ebert always believed he was part of a movie and it is distinctively clear that his life certainly reflects this in many ways, even when he mentions that we’ve joined him in ‘Act 3’. LIFE ITSELF offers up truth and laughs, alongside the grief and harder times and with it becomes a wonderful character piece of this inspiring soul who rightly keeps a deserved seat in the history of great writers and is fittingly woven into the illustrious history of modern movies.
[usr=5] LIFE ITSELF opens on 14th November. For screenings and more information, please visit Dogwoof right here.
