As an amateur film critic, I can safely say that I wouldn't be attempting to do what I do had it not been for Roger Ebert. He was a guiding light in my early days of movie watching - his reviews on his syndicated review show on television with Gene Siskel and later Richard Roeper, would kindle my desire to delve into the depths of movie lore and expand my imagination in regard to film watching in countless ways. His print reviews I would pour over in various book collections and his online review site and blog.
Steve James' new documentary digs into the legendary film critics life and explores his early years in Illinois, his rise to prominence as a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, to his last days as an ailing man in his 70's trying to recover from jaw surgery and the onslaught of cancer.
Ebert as portrayed in this film, was larger than life. He did more for film criticism than any other man in history and his legacy will live on for years after his death. I loved him like a close friend. His reviews were engaging. When he loved a film you could feel his passion. When he loathed a film his incendiary reviews could often make you laugh out loud at their audacity and scorn.
The film borrows the title from Ebert's memoirs published a few years ago and contains narration taken from that source material. There are many memorable scenes in this film and they are all entertaining. I loved the scenes about Ebert's volatile partnership with Gene Siskel. There are outtakes from their show that are hilarious.
It is painful to see Roger in his post-surgery days but you can still see the enthusiasm and joy for life that has been present from his birth. The film does a good job of bringing his monumental presence in the world of film criticism to light. I will continue to read his reviews and if I can write anything that comes close to 1/100th of the insight and intelligence that his writing demonstrated I would feel like I'm getting closer to some kind of success.
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