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Life Itself (2014), R, ★★★★

Roger Ebert and his newly married wife at the time, Chaz.
This is a documentary of a portrait of a popular film critic and a man who has worked hard to get where he was in the world of film criticism on newspaper and television. Honestly, anytime he wrote a movie review or commented about something relatable to a film or his thoughts, I read carefully of what he had to say regarding the material, the craftsmanship and the acting. He was not just a film critic but he was a pure essayist who wrote from the heart. In this extraordinary documentary by Steve James, the director of the great Hoop Dreams, we see the renowned critic's life and pain being brought on-screen.

This movie is about Roger Ebert's legacy of working at the Daily Illini at his alma mater at the University of Chicago, working at the Chicago Sun-Times, his relationship with co-worker at At the Movies and film critic, Gene Siskel, their fights and banter, his fight with alcoholism, and his relationship with Chaz, his wife. They all interweave with Ebert's last months of his life when he was fighting with cancer. Sadly, he died at the age of 70 early April last year.

Ebert enjoying a film while Siskel maybe hating it or quietly enjoying it.
But, what is so special about this documentary is that Ebert gave Steve James the freedom and ability to show what the film critic is going through and what he wants to say with his laptop. The wonderful element is that when he gets sicker, he perseveres and blogs not just about movies, but also about life. He had a free spirit. There are moments of earned humor regarding Ebert's association with his friends and his colleagues, sentimental and sad moments regarding Chaz's and Roger's story. Chaz's and Roger's relationship is really the center of the story and turns the documentary into a heartfelt love story.

I have to honestly confess that I do not really read a lot of movie reviews, but I read few critics' reviews that I trust and admire and one of them was Roger Ebert's. He had a flair of writing specific details and honest explanation regarding a movie. Most of the time, I agreed with it, whereas others, I disagreed. Nevertheless, I read as to why he did or did not like a movie. Steve James' documentary is an epitaph to a man who championed not just film but his life and life around him. This is a film for moviegoers that watch film closely and for viewers who read his reviews and enjoyed the TV show with Siskel and Ebert. But, mainly, everyone should see it. This earns a "thumbs up" from me.

****

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