Review: "Life Itself" is a Wondrous Origin Story of Film's Most Powerful Thumb

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was a titan in film criticism. Along with winning the Pulitzer Prize, his long and storied career has come to be the iconic portrayal of a film critic. More-so than his contemporaries including Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael, or even Gene Siskel, he made the art of film discussion accessible in ways that are most likely formative to every film fan with a blog to this day (myself included). It wasn't just the words that he wrote, but the passion and sincerity that he brought to his work that made him so tangible. In director Steve James' documentary Life Itself, based off of Ebert's self-penned biography, the writer's life is explored in great detail with help from Ebert as well as family, friends, and even a few celebrities. The results are a loving tribute not just to one of film's most recognized fans, but to the power of optimism and using your influence to better other people's lives.

Will "Life Itself" Get the Ode to Ebert into the Best Documentary Race?

Roger Ebert

When it comes to film criticism, who is the one name that most people think of? Not just you, but your grandmother or anyone who will likely never see an Akira Kurosawa film. Who is the name that is so trustworthy that their opinion embodies a greater meaning more than the film itself? In the history of film, no name has been more deserving and synonymous with this as Roger Ebert. For several decades, he was the premiere critic not only with his iconic At the Movies show, but his reviews in the Chicago Tribune. Love him or hate him, he is an important figure that has been there for over half of cinema's very existence. With all of this said, is it possible, even remotely that director Steve James' Life Itself will stand any chance at getting this ode to a legend an Oscar?