Plot
A documentary film that recounts the inspiring and entertaining life of world-renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert.
Release Year: 2014
Rating: 8.0/10 (354 voted)
Critic's Score: 87/100
Director: Steve James
Stars: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel
Storyline
'Life Itself' recounts the surprising and entertaining life of world-renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert - a story that's by turns personal, wistful, funny, painful, and transcendent. The film explores the impact and legacy of Roger Ebert's life: from his Pulitzer Prize-winning film criticism and his nearly quarter-century run with Gene Siskel on their review show, to becoming one of the country's most influential cultural voices, and finally to Roger's inspiring battles with cancer and the resulting physical disability - how he literally and symbolically put a new face on the disease and continued to be a cultural force despite it.
Cast: Martin Scorsese -
Himself
Werner Herzog -
Himself
Roger Ebert -
Himself
Ava DuVernay -
Herself
Errol Morris -
Himself
Chaz Ebert -
Herself
Ramin Bahrani -
Himself
Gene Siskel -
Himself
(archive footage)
Stephen Stanton -
Roger Ebert
(voice)
A.O. Scott -
Himself
Marlene Siskel -
Herself
(as Marlene Iglitzen)
Taglines:
The only thing Roger loved more than movies
Read more @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com)
Roger Ebert meant so much to the entire film community and when it was
announced that there would be a documentary about his life and struggle
after cancer, nearly every cinema lover jumped at the opportunity.
Ebert, as well as his wife Chaz, inspired millions with their love,
story, and the simplicity of living life with films as the central
focus. Life Itself by director Steve James is an intimate and
respectful look into the life of a man who too many people didn't get
the chance to know.
I should start with talking a bit of what film criticism is to me. The
picture inspires you to look inward and search for the reasoning behind
such a love. Bloggers, critics, journalists, there are many names for
all of us that exist in newspapers, internet sites, and forums around
the world. We all love cinema and believe we can, and bring something
different to the table of criticism. When I decided that I wanted to
write about the movies, I knew I didn't want to be the academic critic.
I'm not someone who analyzes the deep themes and symbolism of the
movies. Doesn't mean I don't see them, it's just something I didn't set
out to write about. My approach was always simple. Be able to tell
people if a movie is good or not. I write from the heart. That's why
you will often find typos, misusing grammar, etc.. I have never
pretended to be a genius. Trust me, in school and in life, I've been
pretty average when it came to academics and overall expectations.
Where those have been my "shortcomings," I've been blessed in other
ways with family, friends, and a killer staff. Roger Ebert was the
academic critic who didn't believe that he was the tip of the iceberg.
He knew there were many more of us that would claim to change the game
and his time, was borrowed time on this earth.
In Life Itself, Ebert is captured in some of his most vulnerable
moments but ironically, at his strongest point in his life. We witness
him battle the heartbreaking truth, that his time with us is limited
and there isn't much time left. But before we venture off into our
Ebert of the past few years, director Steve James tells us a
fascinating and beautiful story of Ebert's life, starting off in the
film criticism industry, and what he brought to so many people. We get
first person accounts from some of the world's most prestigious
filmmakers and actors like Martin Scorsese, and first person accounts
from Ebert's early days from many of his closest colleagues. It offers
so much insight into the legacy of a man who offered so much to the
world.
Through outtakes from the Siskel & Ebert show, to intimate and rich
portraits from his many adventures around the globe, through Life
Itself, we become even closer to a man we hardly knew, and in essence,
become closer to ourselves. It's one of the finest films of the year
and one that should be considered as the first documentary ever to be
nominated for Best Picture. If there's a film that breaks the barriers
for all movie-lovers everywhere, Steve James' Life Itself is it.
Magnolia Pictures will release LIFE ITSELF on iTunes/OnDemand and in
theaters this Friday, July 4, 2014.
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