Film criticism begins and ends with one name - ROGER EBERT. He embraced films like a badge of honor and had the blessing in disguise called "language" unlike no other. Some can write, others are orators but this guy was ingeniously freaky in both print and media, underlined by the Pulitzer Prize he had won back in the day.
As a critic, he was a man of uncertainty. One day he would trash a classic as if it was a Roland Emerich schlock masterpiece and next day you'd see him embracing the same Emerich as if he is the grandson of Stanley Kubrick. And he had no shyness in doing that nor was he, irreverent. Its a great irony that the greatest film critic of all time was a lover of both trash and the sophisticated. One of the many ironies of Steve James's two hour long documentary.
Seeing it in mini screen was only a mere reinforcement of that, because I had a fair idea about Ebert's personality in & out through his write-ups at Suntimes, which were thankfully syndicated through web for a larger audience. Perhaps its his fight with cancer that left a poignant note as opposed to all the nostalgic pop cultural references of his once-famous Siskel & Ebert show.
Having the film released at Sundance is only a fitting tribute, because that's the same place where Ebert had championed some independent ventures through his own movie festival named "Ebert Fest" at sundance. Being John Malkovich, Hoop Dreams, Pulp Fiction, Do The Right Thing; all gained cult reputation through his revered voice and sheer presence in the media.
Life Itself recycles all of that and is a film about Love and passion of a famous media icon. What struck me about it was the manner in which James had maintained a stoic narrative throught without being too biased about the legend. With Ebert being a fan of Hoop Dreams, its easy to get carried away and be a patronizer, while very difficult to be objective and detached from the legend.
Life Itself shows Ebert's love with the movies at one side and his personal love life with his wife Chaz Ebert at the other. But boy even I couldn't make out after watching the film twice, with whom did he have a more intimate affection? With the movies or his Wife. Well, your guess is as good as mine - His Life Itself was like a Movie seen in flashback! In his own legendary pet words - Two Thumbs Up(y)(y)
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