Life Itself (2014) - Movie Review

I really got into movies and reviewing them only three and a half years ago, and looking back, I see I have come a long way. Spider-Man 3 used to be my favorite movie of all time, but exposure to some of the greatest movies of all time has changed that. My top lists aren't very original now, including On the Waterfront, Vertigo, and Once Upon a Time in America, but it would be even worse without the help of Roger Ebert.

Roger Ebert lived an epic life of writing, seeing at least four movies on a workweek at a time. His reviews only took thirty minutes and were considered the best in the nation. Yet he suffered from alcoholism and potential loneliness. But that didn't stop him from changing as many lives as possible.

Steve James outdoes Hoop Dreams with a film about the man that made him big. Interviews with up-and-coming Ava Duvernay, Ramin Bahrani, and his widow Chaz Ebert are all very effective. The film is a little scattershot, but you're bound to be emotionally affected by the film. One of the year's best, for sure. I wholly expect to see this one nominated at the Oscars.