Review of Life Itself (2014) by Jacob B — 20 Apr 2016

Not quite the big goodbye that Ebert deserved (it comes across as a well-produced TV special rather than a real motion picture event for the most part) but that's not to say that there isn't a lot to like here. Unsurprisingly, Ebert's life and the man himself make for a fascinating two hours.

I'd argue that it focuses too much on Ebert later in life, which is entirely expected and understandable, but I think it does lead the film to feel a bit under-cooked. Due to his deteriorating health, for example, much the film's content comes from emails that he sent to the filmaker. Whilst they are indeed good contributions to the film and they were the most practical option given the circumstances, I still think it hurts the film somewhat.

Anyway, a must-see for Ebert fans and those interested in film criticism in general.